John Robertson Duigan

"This article is about the aviator and aircraft designer. For the film director, see John Duigan"

John Robertson Duigan (31 May 1882 - 11 June 1951) was an Australian pioneer aviator who built and flew the first Australian-made aircraft. Duigan was born in Terang, Victoria, and grew up on his family farm "Spring Plains", near Mia Mia. He studied electrical engineering at Finsbury College, London, before returning to farm life. From 1908, he began experimenting with aviation, first constructing a glider, and then a powered aircraft. This un-named machine, referred to by posterity as the Duigan pusher biplane made a short (7 m) flight on 16 July 1910, which was followed by ever longer and higher flights. His second powered aircraft, the Duigan tractor biplane was built in 1912, but was damaged in a crash in February 1913 that left Duigan badly bruised; it was his last aircraft. On 26 November that year he married nurse Kathleen Rebecca Corney at Caulfield.

Duigan served in the Australian Flying Corps, and was commissioned lieutenant on 14 March 1916, taking command of No. 2 Squadron in August. In October, he embarked for England, and in August 1917 was promoted captain. He saw action in France with No. 3 Squadron, where he was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry after a skirmish in which he was set upon by four German aircraft over Villers-Bretonneux. Despite being severely wounded, Duigan shot down one of his attackers and managed to land safely.

Demobilised in 1919, Duigan returned to Melbourne to resume his profession as an engineer. He established his own firm at Yarrawonga in 1928, which he ran until returning to the RAAF in 1941, working in its quality control branch in Melbourne until the end of World War II.

At the end of the war, he retired to Ringwood, where he died of cancer. A memorial was erected in 1960 near the site of his first flight fifty years previously.

References

* [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080384b.htm Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition]
* Museum Victoria Information Sheet No 10340 January 2001 "The Duigan aircraft"
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