James Guthrie WestrayPrint Page

The monument commemorates James Guthrie Westray who was tragically killed while attempting to get help after the Stinson aeroplane crash in 1937. The Westray Memorial Fund was set up for subscriptions to a memorial in recognition for his efforts.

In February 1937, the Stinson airliner left Brisbane bound for Sydney and Lismore, never to return. In crossing the McPherson ranges, above the area now known as the Lamington Plateau, the aeroplane was thrown from the sky by cyclonic winds and crashed into the jungle.

For ten days the wreckage went undetected, during which time three survivors struggled against the elements. Two of these, due to injuries sustained in the crash, were unable to leave the crash site. The third, Jim Westray, in a valiant attempt to fetch help, fell down a waterfall to his death. His grave now lies beside the spot where his body was found.

But for the insight of Bernard O'Reilly, the remaining survivors would also have perished. After careful forethought, O'Reilly realised that the aeroplane must have fallen along one of the ridges that form the Lamington Plateau. With this conviction in mind he set off alone, with no more than a loaf of bread and a bag of onions for food, to locate the Stinson. The success of his journey and his subsequent renown as a bushman is a part of local legend.

Westray Memorial Unveiling 1937

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