Students Explore Cathay Pacific’s Branding History at the Swire Archives

Year 10 Design & Technology students recently had the unique opportunity to visit the Swire Archives—an exclusive facility not typically open to the public. 

The Swire Archives houses the rich history of all Swire Group companies, including Cathay Pacific, Coca-Cola, Taikoo Sugar, and more. The purpose of the visit was to delve into Cathay Pacific’s design evolution, providing inspiration and insight for the students’ “Airline Rebrand” project. For this project brief, students are tasked with reimagining the branding of an existing national carrier to reflect and celebrate its hub city. 

During the visit, students attended an engaging talk by Senior Archivist Matthew Edmondson, who shared the history of the archives and the broader role of archival work. They also enjoyed a guided tour of a curated exhibition, which was both informative and beautifully designed. 

A highlight of the trip was gaining access to the climate-controlled archive room itself, which preserves artifacts spanning nearly 200 years of Swire’s history. Students examined rare Cathay Pacific items dating back to the 1940s, including airplane blueprints, first-class menus, and advertisements from the airline’s inaugural Hong Kong–Sydney flight—which took 32 hours and included six refueling stops! 

The group also explored a fascinating collection of airline crew uniforms from the 1950s onward, including design sketches of concepts that never made it to production. Some of the uniform ideas from the 1990s were especially bold and futuristic. 

We extend our sincere thanks to the staff at the Swire Archives for their warm hospitality. It was a truly memorable experience, and we are grateful for the chance to view such rare and inspiring artifacts.