JC Fitzmaurice – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB06/03/202303/06/2023

Aviation Heritage Vol. 54 No. 1 (March 2023) Contents Listing

The latest quarterly edition (March 2023) of the AHSA journal – Aviation Heritage – has recently been posted to members. The full contents are...

1929 On Sunday 2 June 1929 the de Havilland DH.66 Hercules biplane G-AUJO 'City of Perth' of Western Australian Airways Ltd, piloted by Major Norman Brearley and Captain Eric Chater, took off from Parafield Aerodrome, Adelaide bound for Perth. This was to be the inaugural air-mail service between the two cities. The aircraft carried 20,000 letters and nine passengers. Unfortunately strong head winds of 80 mph, and poor visibility from a major dust storm forced the plane to turn back shortly after passing Port Wakefield. On the previous day over 15,000 people flocked to Parafield to watch an aerial pageant and to see the wife of the Governor, Lady Hore-Ruthven, christen another Hercules aircraft (G-AUJP) 'City of Adelaide' which, together with a sister aircraft, 'City of Perth', was to be used by Western Australian Airways Ltd to service the route. The Governor described the service as 'an epoch making event'. The journey could be completed in 30 hours in complete comfort, including a stop at Ceduna, a twelve hour rest at Forrest in Western Australia, and a further stop at Kalgoorlie. To commemorate the event a special stamp was designed for airmail. Mail for Europe was to be airlifted to Perth for loading on a ship at Fremantle. On the return journey mail from Europe would be able to reach the eastern states, by plane from Perth, three to four days earlier than by other means of transport. Passenger fares were £18 each way. After the initial disappointment the aircraft finally left Parafield at 7.15 a.m. on the morning of 4 June with nine passengers and the mail. Sources: The Advertiser, 3 June 1929, pp. 9 & 11, 5 June 1929 p. 11.; The Personal Touch A Look at South Australia's Postal History from Proclamation to Present Day, Australia Post, 1986, pp. 26-27.; via sahistorians.org.au; Parnell, N. and Boughton, T., Flypast, A Record of Aviation in Australia, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1988 p. 61

1957 Auster J/1N Alpha VH-SAG operated by Somerset Airways crashed at Lonesome Station, Injune, Queensland on 2 June 1957. The aircraft was destroyed when it struck a dead tree during a forced landing. There were 2 fatalities. Source: aviation-safety.net website