The use of planes to check Sydney’s beaches for sharks started all the way back in the 1920s, with possibly more danger in the air than on the water.
In the 120 or so years since Europeans started surfing in Sydney, there has been a wariness about sharks. Various techniques to spot them and warn swimmers have been tried, the latest being unmanned drones.
With the development of aviation in the 1920s, the use of spotter planes was one solution. It was probably driven as much by the desire of daring individuals to have an excuse to fly – and perhaps have their fuel paid for – as it was by any cost-benefit analysis.
In the early days, the system was as simple as a pilot flying over a beach and displaying a green streamer if all was clear – or a red one if danger lurked. Sometimes the danger was not in the water.
On Sunday 14 April, 1935, a beach patrol aircraft piloted by Edward Collibee took off from Mascot with John Harrison as passenger. It flew to Manly and north along the beach to Queenscliff. But after it rounded the headland and was patrolling Harbord Beach, the engine spluttered.
Mr Collibee headed inland for Harbord Park, near the primary school. However, as he came in to attempt to land, he saw that there were children playing there. He flew low and shouted at them to clear the area. They did, but as the plane came around the second time, it suddenly nose-dived from about 80 feet and plunged into the adjacent scrub.
Miraculously, both men survived, albeit with injuries, quite serious for Mr Collibee.
It is unknown whether Mr Collibee returned to flying. It emerged that this was his third shark patrol crash in under three months. In February, he had crashed into the sea at Cronulla, and in March he had come down at Narrabeen. Surf swimmers may have faced more risk from the planes above than the sharks below.
Richard Michell is the vice-president of the Manly, Warringah and Pittwater Historical Society and the secretary of Friends of Dee Why Lagoon. Visit mwphs.org.au and fodyl.au respectively.