In Rob Deacon’s mind, the story of Lawrence Hargrave is one every person should be familiar with.

“Students should be aware of his story, it’s a great local story – a great Australian story of international significance,” said Mr Deacon, the assistant principal at Lawrence Hargrave School near Liverpool.

To make this view become a reality, Mr Deacon has been a driving force behind a biennial memorial event that highlights Hargraves’ achievements in flight.

Hargrave in 1894 became the first man to achieve vertical lift off, hovering five metres off Stanwell Park beach while attached to box kites. His experiments and inventions contributed to the later development of airplanes.

But what started as a school event, celebrated at Mr Deacon’s school in 2001, has now grown to an event attracting schools from three educational regions.

Twelve schools from Sydney, the Illawarra and Wollongong areas last term converged on Stanwell Park beach to celebrate the fifth Lawrence Hargrave Public Schools Memorial Kite Day.

In a fitting tribute, more than 1,000 public school students flew kites of all shapes, colours and sizes on the same beach where Hargrave achieved history.

For many the day represented the chance to have some fun and an opportunity to view the Super Constellation and DC-3 planes that flew over the beach.

But for others the event was cause for reflection.

Scarborough Public School student Gretel Major said if not for Hargrave’s work “maybe we wouldn’t be able to fly overseas today”.

Helensburgh Public School student Mietta Doak was impressed by “how many things [Mr Hargrave] invented”.

Lawrence Hargrave School principal Samantha Loveridge, who officially welcomed students, teachers and invited guests, told the gathering “the students at Lawrence Hargrave School are proud to work and learn in a school that bears his name”.

Mr Deacon, the event organiser, said the day gave an opportunity for students from his school, a school for specific purposes, to take on leadership roles by assisting with the staging of the event.

“It really is a good thing for them to be involved in and develops their self-confidence and self-esteem,” Mr Deacon said.

“It helps them build their own self-discipline and employability skills.”