Australian Bedtime Story: Lawrence Hargrave Feb 2026

Before the roar of jet engines, before the first powered flight, before anyone truly believed humans could leave the ground and return safely, there was a quiet experimenter on the cliffs of Stanwell Park, flying kites into the salt-heavy wind. This episode explores the life and mind of Lawrence Hargrave, the Australian inventor whose curiosity helped unlock the secret of flight. In the late nineteenth century, while much of the world still treated aviation as fantasy, Hargrave was methodically building and testing box kites, studying lift, stability, and control with the patience of a man who trusted science more than spectacle. The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, weeknights 11:10pm The Nightline with Cheralyn Darcey from 2HD Newcastle and across Australia on the Super Radio Network live weeknights from 8pm to midnight - news, views and a bit of funSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.