Welcome, it’s Adrian Bo from Ray White Park Coast Eastern Suburbs and today, I’m in Nagle Park just on Holden Street here to talk about the legend that this street was named after. I’ve also just listed a free standing house on Parer Street, around the corner. So, keep an eye out for that one. Now, Leslie Hubert Holden was born in 1895 and died very young, unfortunately, at the age of 37. Yet packed an enormous amount into his short life. Born in Adelaide, Leslie or Les as he was known, was the nephew of Henry Holden, who went on to start the business, Holden’s Motor Body Builders, which of course, became the iconic car brand. When Les was 10, his dad became a partner in the chocolate company Nestle, which led to the family moving to Sydney and Les was sent to Sydney Grammar School. Then at the age of 16, got a job working for his dad as a salesman with Nestle and by the time war broke out in 1914, Les had risen to Assistant Manager.

In 1915 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and joined the 4th Light Horse Brigade. He initially served as a driver in Egypt, then in the Middle East, and also onto the Western Front. Les loved a challenge, which led to him volunteering for the fledgling Australian Flying Corps in 1916, where he qualified as a pilot and as a lieutenant, was posted to number 2 squadron. In fact Les was involved in the very first day of combat in France for the Australian Flying Corps, when, just after noon on the 2nd of October, 1917, he and his wingman engaged a German plane near Saint-Quentin. A month later Les was involved in the Battle of Cambrai, where he bombed and machine-gunned an important German trench from altitudes as low as 6 metres. No surprise that on his return to base, his plane was reported as a complete write-off, and to quote, “Every part of it was shot full of holes, including the petrol tank, tail, undercarriage and controls.” In a new plane, Les repeated this miraculous feat with similar consequences to his plane and as a result became known as “Lucky Les” and was awarded the Military Cross. His incredibly brave exploits continued from 1917 and 1918, culminating in a further award of the Air Force Cross in 1919.

On his return from the war, Les took a job with his uncle at Holden’s as the Sydney Manager. However his passion for flying led him to purchasing a de Havilland DH 61 Giant Moth. And started a charter flight business, based at Mascot aerodrome. In 1929, Les gained national celebrity status when Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm’s high-profile attempted flight to the UK went down in the Australian outback. Les flew 9000 miles during over 100 hours in the air to eventually find and rescue the pilots who had come down on a mud flat near the Glenelg River. In 1932, Les was a passenger on a routine flight from Sydney to Brisbane when the plane crashed and all crew and passengers unfortunately passed away. Les was commemorated with a stained glass window at Sydney Grammar School chapel in 1934 and in 1943 the street here, on Holden Street, was named after him when it was built. Yet another incredible legend that I’m confident most householders on Holden Street or in Maroubra, where I grew up, would not know about. That’s why I’m so determined to keep these stories alive. I’ve sold so many properties over the years in Maroubra in particular and if you’d like to get a market appraisal on your property please give me a call on 0418 278 316. My email is adrian.bo@raywhite.com. Keep smiling, your home is worth more with Adrian Bo.