Hudson crash a national disaster
AJRTen people, including three Commonwealth Ministers and the Chief of the General Staff, were killed on 13 August 1940, when their RAAF Lockheed Hudson crashed while preparing to land at Canberra Airport. The plane was bringing the Ministers and high officials from Melbourne for an important cabinet meeting when it nose-dived into the hill and subsequently burst into flames.
The tragedy assumed the proportions of a national disaster in view of the loss of these leading government figures in Australia's effort in World War 2.
The memorial is located in the Fairbairn Pine Plantation north of Pialligo Avenue in Majura. It is located on a small hill, on the north side of a forestry track. The surrounding area is a plantation of semi-mature trees.
The memorial is located on the north-eastern side of a small open gravel area. A large granite monolith, two metres wide, the memorial is embedded in concrete, and surrounded by a circular concrete kerb wall with a diameter of five metres. The space between is filled with granite chips. To the north and south of kerb are low wing walls of random stonework set in concrete.
A bronze plaque is centrally placed on the monolith bearing an inscription to:
Brigadier the Honourable G Street MP, the Minister of State for Army and Repatriation; the Honourable Sir Henry Gullet MP, Vice President of the Executive Council; the Honourable J Fairbairn MP, Minister for Air and Civil Aviation; Lieutenant General Sir Brudenell White, Chief of General Staff; Mr R E Elford, Private Secretary to the Minister for Air; Lieutenant R H Hitchcock, pilot; Pilot Officer Weisener, assistant pilot; Corporal J F Palmer, wireless operator; and Aircraftsman C J Crosdale, fitter, all of whom were killed at this location.
Five eucalypt trees form a loose semi-circular shape around the east of the memorial, and there is a planting of Callistemons on each side and behind the monolith.
