Official documents, papers and maps concerning early Australian air mail and passenger flights, 19 November 1931-27 July 1934

DLSPENCER 541

fonds

19 November 1931-27 July 1934

Textual Records, Cartographic Materials

950312

1 folder of textual and cartographic material - manuscript, maps, ephemera, printed - 36 cm.

Documents, papers and maps are accompanied by notes written by Ernest A. Crome, Hon. Secretary, Air Mail Society of N.S.W, ca. 1934. Ernest Crome was a collector of aviation material, particularly items in relation to Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm.

Australian National Airways Ltd. (ANA), arranged the first all-Australian air mail flight to England carrying a special air mail for the Christmas of 1931. Modified Avro X VH-UNA Southern Sun departed Hobart on 19 November piloted by George U. Allan, relief pilot R.N. Boulton and wireless operator L.M. Callaghan. In addition to a mail comprising an estimated 52,000 items, there were 3 passengers, Colonel H.C. Brinsmead, Controller of Civil Aviation in Australia, Bernard Rubin and Edward Victor G. Day. The flight proceeded from Hobart via Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Longreach, Camooweal, Newcastle Waters, Darwin, Koepang, Bima, Surabaya, Batavia and Singapore to Alor Star (Malaysia). However, owing to the sodden airfield, the aircraft crashed in Alor Star and was wrecked on takeoff. The flight was continued by Kingsford Smith who arrived on 5 December. Smith, Allan and Bob Boulton set out once again for London in Avro X VH-UMG Southern Star.

Originally the flight intended to carry four passengers, and to this end four tickets only were printed. This collection holds ticket no. 1, (document no. 5). Due to the weight of mail it was decided that Colonel H.C. Brinsmead, Controller of Civil Aviation in Australia should go. Also on board were passengers, Bernard Rubin (disembarked Darwin 22.11.31), and Edward Victor G. Day (disembarked Darwin 22.11.31). Brinsmead accompanied the plane as far as Alor Star (Malaysia) where the plane "Southern Sun" crashed, he then transferred to a Dutch plan, which also crashed, with two people killed, and Brinsmead seriously injured, from which he never recovered fully, finally succumbing to his injuries in 1934.

Australia's first stowaway (document no. 7), John Dodson was discovered by George U. Allan, when the seaplane, Atlantis, piloted by Hans Bertram was across the middle of the Timor Sea on the 12 December 1932. The pilot's own version is as follows: "G.U. Allan, at the time was working out the positions on the chart, his mind completely occupied, when hearing a rustling sound, he looked up, and saw a hand groping along the fuselage of the cabin. this gave him somewhat of a start, and he thought he was seeing things, being over the middle of the ocean, but closer investigation convinced him of the material evidence of the hand, he then realised that somebody had stowed away." Due to the noise of the plane a note was passed between Allan and Dodson. Dodson was placed under arrest when the plane landed at Bima (Indonesia).

1. Tasmanian papers. 18 November 1931.

a. Autographed letter of good wishes from the Collector of Customs for Tasmania, E.A.J. Benjafield to the Collector of Customs and Staff, London. 19 November 1931.
b. Customs clearance, Hobart. 18 November 1931.
c. Outward Bill of Health, Hobart. 18 November 1931.
d. Ship's outward manifest, Hobart. 18 November 1931.
e. Store list emergency rations.
f. Australian Customs store list.
g. Australian Customs Export Entry. "Southern Sun".
h. Duplicate of above.

2. Melbourne papers. 18-20 November 1931.

a. Customs clearance "Southern Sun" VH UNA, dated 18 November 1931.
b. Ships outward manifest re "Southern Sun" VH UNA. A provisional document of the Adelaide Steamship Co. borrowed for the occasion to meet the requirements of the Customs, no such manifests for aerial purposes for such a flight existing in Australia at this time. "Ships" altered to "Air Liner". 18 November 1931.
c. The first aerial mail passenger list of the first all Australian air mail flight ever issued in Australia. Colonel H.C. Brinsmead, Controller of Aviation in Australia. 20 November 1931.
d. Outward Bill of Health. 19-20 November 1931.

3. Darwin papers relating to the final clearance from Australia on which all papers must be complete for foreign examination. 20-23 November 1931.

a. Customs clearance, Darwin, issued to George Urquhart Allan, master aeroplane "Southern Sun". 23 November 1931.
b. Outward Bill of Health, Darwin. 22 November 1931.
c. Customs clearance, Brisbane. 20 November 1931.
d. Outward Bill of Health, Brisbane. 20 November 1931.
d. Customs clearance, Sydney. 20 November 1931.
e. Outward Bill of Health, Sydney. 20 November 1931.
f. Ship's outward manifest. Australian Customs, Sydney. 20 November 1931. Film Australian Fox Movietone, developed.
g. Passenger list - outgoing passengers. 20 November 1931. H.C. Brinsmead, Bernard Rubin (disembarked Darwin 22.11.31), Edward Victor G. Day (disembarked Darwin 22.11.31).
h. Australian Customs store list. 20 November 1931. Only stores were emergency rations and first aid kit.

4. Waybills

a. No. 1. Addressed to Sir Granville Ryrie, the High Commissioner of Australia in London, relating to items in connection with the Sydney Harbour Bridge, before being opened to the public. 20 November 1931.
b. No. 2. Parcel of Australian films, developed, consigned to British Movietone News, London. 19th November 1931.

5. First passenger ticket by air from Australia to England. Ticket issued by "First All-Australian Mail & Passenger Service". Numbered, "No. 1". Dated outward journey leaving Hobart, 19 November 1931. Return journey leaving London, 9 December 1931. Manuscript notes on back.

6. Newspaper clipping.
Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday, March 23, 1982. Article titled "Memories of good planes - and duds". Featuring a picture of 'Scotty' Allan'.

7. Narrative, 'Australia's First Aerial Stowaway'.

8. Manuscript note passed between John Dodson (stowaway) and George Allan (Pilot).

9. Maps

i. Map no. 1. Original chart, first official trans Tasman aerial mail from New Zealand, February 1934, and first official aerial mail from Australia to New Zealand, April 1934.
ii. Map no. 3. Charts used on the record flight to Perth and return by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Captain P.G. Taylor.
iii. Map no. 4. Charts used on the flight carrying the first official aerial mails from New Zealand and Australia to Papua and New Guinea, per aeroplane Faith in Australia.
iv. Map no. 5. Trans Atlantic Southern Cross, the unique and historical chart used on the first successful westward crossing of the Atlantic by an Australian, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, June 1930.
v. Trans Tasman map. Original map, goodwill flight from Australia to New Zealand. Commonwealth Government carrying messages of goodwill from the Prime Minister of Australia to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, May/July 1934.
vi. Map used on the flight of the Faith in Australia carrying the first non-stop mail from Auckland to Invercargill, December 1933; with notes and air-mail cover.

Information transferred from Dixson Manuscript Card Catalogue as part of the eRecords Project, 2011-2012.