Vic: Kingsford Smith cigarette case to fetch $6,000

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Vic: Kingsford Smith cigarette case to fetch $6,000

By Charisse Ede

MELBOURNE, Aug 5 AAP - When Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm made aviationhistory by flying across the Pacific, Ulm gave his partner a gold cigarette case.

He had it engraved with the simple congratulatory message: "Smithy old son, we made it. Charles."

Now the cigarette case is expected to fetch up to $6,000 when it goes under the hammerat Christie's in Melbourne tomorrow night.

Kingsford Smith and Ulm first flew into the history books when they circumnavigatedAustralia in 10 days and five hours in 1927.

A year later they received international recognition when they made the first trans-Pacificflight from the United States to Australia in a borrowed Fokker, later named the "SouthernCross".

But the partners fell out several years later when their business enterprise, AustralianNational Airlines, folded, and Kingsford Smith failed to recognise Ulm's role in the recordflights in his autobiography.

Ulm disappeared in 1934 between California and Hawaii while on a trans-Pacific flight.

Kingsford Smith disappeared over the Indian Ocean on a flight from England to Australiathe following year.

Kingsford Smith gave the case to its present owner's father as a gift.

The case is one of hundreds of pieces of jewellery, furniture, decorative arts andsilver to be auctioned at Christie's Melbourne showroom tonight and tomorrow.

Tonight an historic wooden chair designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion MahonyGriffin, the couple renowned for designing Canberra, will go under the hammer.

The triangular-framed Japanese oak chair was produced in Melbourne in 1915 for thehighly-fashionable Fern Room at Melbourne's Cafe Australia.

The cafe was considered one of the most exciting early 20th Century interior spaces,but was remodelled in 1927 before being demolished and replaced by the Hotel Australiain 1937.

The chair is one of only a few pieces known to have survived and is expected to fetchup to $10,000.

AAP ce/gfr/ldj/jlw

KEYWORD: KINGSFORD CASE (PIX AVAILABLE)