1894: Lawrence Hargrave lifts off in his box kite at Stanwell Park.

In 1894, almost a decade before the Wright brothers celebrated the first powered flight, Australian inventor Lawrence Hargrave connected four box kites of his own design, added a seat, and flew 4.8m off the ground, proving it was possible to build a safe, heavier-than-air flying machine.

At the observatory, Hargrave designed and built adding machines to assist his astronomical calculations.

The area is well known for its winds favourable for gliding, and on the morning of 12 November 1894, Hargrave launched a linked series of four box kites off the town beach and climbed into a seat attached to the lowest kite.

Hargrave's designs were taken up by other inventors, including the French-American Octave Chanute, whose designs were later incorporated by the Wright brothers into their Wright Flyer, which, in December 1903, became the first aircraft to achieve powered flight with a pilot on board.

Weeks later, on 6 July, Hargrave died of peritonitis following surgery in Sydney, aged 65.