Hudson Fysh
Encyclopedia
Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh KBE, DFC
(7 January 18956 April 1974) was an Australia
n aviator
and businessman. A founder of the Australian airline company Qantas
, Fysh was born in Launceston, Tasmania
. Serving in the Battle of Gallipoli
and Palestine Campaign as a lieutenant
of the Australian Light Horse Brigade, Fysh later became an observer and gunner to Paul McGinness
in the AFC. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross
during the aftermath of the war for his services to aerial warfare
.
Fysh, alongside Paul McGinness and Fergus McMaster
started Qantas in 1920. Despite government ownership
, Fysh became managing director and chairman of Qantas. A committee member of the International Air Transport Association
, he became president of the organisation in 1960. He was also one of the founders of the Australian National Travel Association, now known as the Australian Tourist Commission, a member of the Royal Aeronautical
and British Interplanetary
society, the Institute of Transport and the Australasian Pioneers Club.
Acknowledged for his work as an aviation historian
, Fysh wrote books on the history and development of Qantas, exemplifying the airline's role in both military
and civil aviation
. Authoring a trilogy
of memoir
s dealing with the impact of Qantas in history, the series drew comparisons by critics towards Winston Churchill
's The Second World War
.
Fysh died in Paddington
at the age of 79, on 6 April 1974.
in Tasmania, Australia, on 7 January 1895. His father, Frederick Wilmot Fysh, was a merchant, while his mother, Mary (née Reed), was the daughter of a famous landowner, Henry Reed
. Fysh was the oldest of five siblings; Hudson, Henry, Margaret, Mary and Graham. He was also the great-nephew of Sir Philip Fysh
. He had a happy childhood, but it was marred by the failure of his parents' marriage and his father's business. Originally staying with his father, he ran away so often that eventually he was able to stay with his mother. Living in St Leonards
—a suburb of Launceston—until 1914, he enlisted in the Light Horse upon the start of World War I
.
Educated in the Launceston
and Geelong
grammar school
s, Fysh worked as a jackaroo
and woolclasser after his education. He was also a cadet
in the 70 Infantry Militia as a teenager, before volunteering for the Tasmanian 26th Light Horse upon the outbreak of war. After the foundation of Qantas, Fysh, being a poor student at school, tried to make up for his lack of training by studying economics and taking a course in pelmanism
. After his retirement from Qantas, Fysh received a honorary
degree of Doctor of Engineering
(EngD), in a commemoration ceremony from the University of Tasmania
, in 1971.
Described as a man of "great political acumen" and having "a hard head for business", Fysh had a reputation as a stern, uncompromising taskmaster
. This contrasted against his "shy, quiet" nature; he described himself as "painfully shy...as a child feeling looked down on, sensitive, and socially lost." Fysh felt these feelings never left him, being "ill at ease with fame or publicity." Described as single-minded in many instances, his insistence on using a D.H.86
(De Havilland Express 86) lead to a bitter clash and eventual fall-out between Fysh and Sir Gordan Taylor. Fysh also made rivals in other airline entrepreneurs such as Norman Brearley
, a founder of Western Australian Airways.
On 5 December 1923, Fysh married Elizabeth Eleanor ("Nell") Dove, from Hunter River
, in St James Church of England, Sydney
. They had a son and daughter, John Hudson Fysh and Wendy Elizabeth Fysh, both born in Longreach. Fysh described his family as the reason he persisted with the company and "his bulwark against the [company's] relentless pressures"
On 25 August 1914, Fysh enlisted in the 3rd Regiment of the 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade at a training camp in Pontville, Tasmania
, following the declaration of the Great War
. Initially commissioned as a private
, Fysh was transported from Hobart on the HMAT Geelong to Egypt
on 20 October 1914. He received his training in Egypt, and arrived at Gallipoli in May 1915; only two weeks after the initial Anzacs had arrived. Fysh was evacuated on December 1915, after serving for 7 months in the Australian Imperial Force
.
He served in Palestine
and Sinai, fighting in the Palestine Campaign for the 'C' Squadron of the Light Horse Regiment. He was transferred from Palestine in 17 July 1916, to the 1st Light Horse Brigade, Machine Gun Squadron. First promoted to corporal
, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in January 1917. Fighting under lieutenant Ross Smith
in the Light Horse, he soon replaced Smith as the section officer when Smith was transfer to the Flying Corps.
On July 1917, Fysh requested a transfer from the Light Horse Brigade to the Royal Flying Corps
. After months of training, he qualified as an observer and gunner
, in October 1917. Originally fighting for the Royal Flying Corps No. 67 squadron, he later fought for the No.1 Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps, under the command of Major Richard Williams.
In the Flying Corps, Fysh was gunner to Major
Sydney W. Addison and later to Lieutenant Paul McGinness. Engaging in battle as gunner in a Bristol Fighter
, against German and Turkish aircraft in the Middle Eastern campaigns
, Fysh was an observer ace
, shooting down 5 enemy aircraft. On 8 January 1919, Fysh was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross
. The award was gazette
d in the London Gazette and the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 8 February 1919 and 23 May 1919 respectively.
His citation read:
On 28 February 1919, at Heliopolis
, Fysh received his flying licence, graduating as a scout pilot
. In March 1919, an announcement was made by the Prime Minister of Australia
, William Morris Hughes, of a Great Air Race
for the "first successful flight to Australia from Great Britain in a machine manned by Australians". The prize money was £A
10,000 (or £8,000 sterling
), under the condition that the flight is completed within 720 hours, and before midnight of 31 December 1919. Deciding to join the race, Fysh regrouped with Paul McGinness, as his co-pilot.
To fund the race, McGinness approached Sir Samuel McCaughey
, the man who donated the plane that McGinness flew in for World War I
. McCaughey agreed to fund the race, and they were joined by Arthur Baird, their flight-sergeant engineer during the war. Prior to the race, on 25 July 1919, McCaughey died and his executors refused to honour his agreement with McGinness. As a result, plans for the race were abandoned. Instead, Fysh and McGinness were commissioned to survey Northern Australia
for the preparation of the Air Race, by Major-General James Gordon Legge
(later Lieutenant-General) from the Defence Department
. They were instructed to survey the route from the town of Longreach, past Katherine
, and ending at the state capital of Darwin
, in the Northern Territory
.
Arriving in Longreach in August, 1919, they acquired a Model T Ford
, as a transport for the survey, and were accompanied by a mechanic, George Gorham. Leaving Longreach on 18 August 1919, the group traveled through Winton
, Kynuna and McKinlay, reaching the town of Cloncurry
in 20 August 1919. They were the first people to travel across the Gulf of Carpentaria
, using an automobile. The team traveled through Burketown
, the stations of Westmoreland and Wollorgorang, before reaching Hobble Chain Creek. From there, they traveled through Big Running Creek, Calvert River, Warbys Lagoon, Snake Lagoon, Fulch River, Werrin River, Fletcher River, Feathertop Creek. As none of the rivers have bridges, the group had to wade across the rivers. Following a route taken by Ludwig Leichhardt
in 1845, they reached Borroloola
. Fysh began a diary of maps and photography, to record their journey across Northern Australia.
Leaving Borroloola in 25 September 1919, they followed the Roper River
, and arriving at Katherine in 8 October 1919. From Katherine, they took a train, Leaping Lena, to Darwin. In total, the pair had traveled through 2180 kilometre in their Model T Ford, taking up 51 days for their trip from Longreach to Katherine. As a result of their journey across the outback, the group found Legge's route lacking the necessary open space for aircraft landing. Fysh and McGinness became convinced that an alternate route through the Barkly Tableland will be more convenient for the winners of the air race, after talking to some motorcyclists from Sydney.
Upon reaching Darwin, McGinness and Gorham traveled back to Cloncurry to survey and build landing routes on the way there, while Fysh was to stay in Darwin and create suitable landing strips there and at Katherine. In a letter addressed to General Legge dated to 30 October 1919, Fysh rejected the use of the racecourse in Darwin, which was originally picked by Reginald Lloyd
(the head of the first ground survey to find a suitable route for the aircraft), as the landing ground for the winning aircraft. He then suggested an alternate strip, locating one near Fannie Bay, to the north of Darwin. Shortly before the landing of the Smith brothers, the landing strip at Fannie Bay was completed at the cost of £A700.
On 10 December 1919, the team of Ross Smith
, Keith Smith
, Jim Bennett and Wally Shiers, winners of the Great Race, arrived in Darwin and were greeted by Fysh (as the official representative of the Defence Department). Deciding to return to Longreach in May 1920, Fysh met Alexander Kennedy
, when he was given hospitality in Kennedy's homestead, Bushby Park. As McGinness had stopped at the homestead earlier on his way to Cloncurry, Kennedy told Fysh about McGinness' idea of an airline service for the region.
After reuniting at the Cloncurry Post Office, McGinness and Fysh started to make plans to build their airline service, confident in the future of commercial aviation. Writing about his experiences in the outback in his autobiography, Fysh commented that:
Earlier on, McGinness had met a grazier, Fergus McMaster, when McMaster's car axle
had broken down on a bed in Cloncurry River. McGinness fixed the car, gaining the respect of McMaster. McGinness and Fysh headed off to Brisbane
, further developing their plan along the way. Coincidentally, McMaster also went to Brisbane. Upon realising this, Fysh and McGinness, explained their airline plans to him. The initial plans for the airline service consisted of joyriding, air taxi
trips and charter services spanning the Northern Territory— Western Queensland region of Australia. As a result, on 20 June 1920 in Brisbane's Gresham Hotel
, McGinness, Fysh, McMaster and Alan Campbell, an adviser for the Queensland Primary Producers, began to register the new airline company. The registration of the company was not finalised that day. It took several months before a name and the necessary funds were found for the business.
Funds for the company were lacking. Demonstrating his faith in the airline, Fysh invested his savings of £A500 (£400 sterlings), while McGinness invested £1000. After being contacted by the group, Arthur Baird joined them in the idea, once again closing his garage business. A main investor for Qantas was Ainslie Templeton, a friend of Fergus McMaster and a woolgrower in the Longreach district, who promised to match McMaster's investments in the "air service project", upon being told of the idea. Fysh and McGinness then traveled through the towns in the Northern Territory and Queensland, asking for investments for the airline. They were met with positive responses. After observing a shareholder writing "Donation" across the cheque butt
, Fysh wrote:
After trying many different names for the company, Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited or Qantas was chosen, a name that McMaster later stated was created "with Anzac as its inspiring factor". Qantas was formed on 16 November 1920, with Hudson Fysh, Paul McGinness, Ainslie Templeton, Alan Campbell and Fergus McMaster in the Gresham Hotel, with an initial paid-up capital of £A6,700 (£5,360 sterlings). The job of executive chairman of the airline was given to McMaster, with Winton becoming the head office and "the official birthplace of Qantas".
Partially due to McMaster's intervention, the original plans for air-taxi work and joyriding gave way for airmail services, which would link communication in the settlements between Darwin and Longreach. McMaster summarised it as "an aerial mail service from Longreach to Port Darwin, connecting at Winton, Cloncurry, Avon Downs, Anthony Lagoon, Newcastle Waters and The Katherine", therefore making it the longest direct air service in the world at that time. Another plan for Qantas came forth with Dr Frederick Archibald Michod, a doctor and aviator in Longreach who became foundation director of Qantas after its formation. Visiting cattle stations and private properties in to give medical treatment, Michod was aware of the difficulties faced in the outback. Establishing a hospital in Longreach, he often used his aircraft as an aerial ambulance. He proposed an idea for a "flying doctor", which would later take form in the late 1920s with the Presbyterian minister
, John Flynn
.
The airline was provided with a wool store as their first hangar
by a Winton local, Alba Woolscour. On 7 February 1921, the first and only Qantas board meeting
in Winton was held in the Winton Club, three days after the pilots landed, on 10 February. A quick decision was made to move Qantas headquarters to Longreach, which would be more central to operations, with easier access to passengers and spare parts.
In August 1920, Fysh and McGinness ordered their first aircraft for the company from Mascot Aerodrome, the first airport in Australia – two Avro 504K with Sunbeam Dyak
engines, bought at £A1,425 each. The purchase for the 504K was dated 19 August 1920, and under the name of The Western Queensland Auto Aero Service Limited. The Avro was one of the original, of six, military aircraft built in Australia by AA & E Co. Ltd. upon the orders of the Commonwealth Government for the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). AA & E later went into liquidation
after falling to their cheaper British competitors.
However a delay in the engines caused anxiety in the pilots, with their financial circumstance lingering. A decision was soon put up to order a third aircraft, with the company considering both the Avro Triplane and the "Westland Limousine Machine". After initial misgiving by McMaster, Fysh and McGinness finally settled for the Avro Triplane. The Triplane was bought for £A2,798, and was considered a revolution in airplane technology, able to hold 4 passengers in an enclosed cabin. The Avro had also won a £A10,000 competition sponsored by the Daily Mail
for the "best commercial aircraft". Due to their financial circumstances however, the order for one of the Avro 504K was cancelled.
After being informed that the Dyak engine was ready by the owner of the Aerodrome, Nigel Love, in 23 November 1920; they were told that the Avro 504K would be ready by December. However the aircraft was delayed until 25 January 1923, upon which McGinness send a wire message to McMaster stating that all tests have been complete with satisfactory results. Fysh, who was also in Mascot, was left redundant due to the cancellation of the second Avro 504K, until Charles Knight, a Longreach stock and station agent, requested him to fly a RAF B.E.2e back to Longreach. Despite only having thirty minutes of practice on the BE2e during his pilot licence training, Fysh agreed to fly it, with Baird as his passenger. Fysh later stated that "when I took the aeroplane over, the problem of my own temporary redundancy was solved".
On 31 January 1921, 6 days after McGinness sent the message to McMaster, McGinness, Fysh and Baird took off from Mascot aiming to reach Moree
before dark. Due to the strong winds and turbulence
, the BE2e began to spin, disorientating Fysh in the process. Landing his aircraft on an upside slope of a hill, they came to rest near a miner's cottage. Fysh and Baird soon found out that they were near Red Head mine (formally named "Lambton B Pit"), close to Singleton
.
Joining McGinness, who had safely arrived in Singleton, they flew northwards; stopping at Moree, St. George
, Charleville
, Blackall
, and then at Barcaldine
, the last stop before reaching Longreach. Meeting at Barcaldine with McMaster, who had caught the train from Rockhampton to the town, McMaster decided to fly with them to Longreach, hoping their arrival in the town would be "impressive and historical". Reaching Longreach in the scheduled time, the flight beat the mail train from Barcaldine by 20 minutes despite the train leaving Barcaldine 2 hour earlier. Mapping the airline's short-term future in the Shakespeare Hotel in Longreach, they soon planned the last leg of the journey to Winton.
With Ainslie Templeton accompanying McMaster and McGinness in the Avro, Fysh flew with the owner of the aircraft, Charles Knight, to Winton on 7 February 1921. The trip of one and a half hours took considerably longer than that, with McGinness steering in the wrong direction, causing them to lose their path. They finally reached Winton after 3 hours of flight, with 15 minutes worth of fuel left. After "landing gracefully" to the cheering of a crowd in Winton, they were "entertained at a smoke concert at the North Gregory Hotel." In the hotel, McMaster outlined the links between aviation and defence, in reference to the future of Qantas.
The next day, the 2 aircraft took off from Winton in order to return to Longreach. With Knight as his passenger in the BE2e, Fysh lost his way, missing Longreach by 20 miles (32.2 km); he navigated his way back to the town by following the Thompson River. The journey, coupled with the earlier delayed trip when flying from Longreach to Winton, proved to be too much for Knight, who sold the BE2e to the company upon landing, swearing that "nothing would induce him to fly again." The cost of the aircraft was £A450 which was partially bought, as insisted by McMaster, in the form of shares to the airline company.
and Cloncurry
. The route was backed by the government, procured by relations between Qantas and regional politicians. While still piloting regularly until 1930, hard working Fysh studied business and management, and became managing director in 1923. When the airmail route to England was planned, Qantas successfully tendered, with Fysh involved in planning the route in the years 1931 to 1933. The final agreement saw Qantas flying the airmail to Singapore
, where british Imperial Airways
would take over. 1934, Qantas and Imperial Airways built a new company, Qantas Empire Airways, with both companies holding 50% of the stock. Fysh became Managing Director in the new formed company as well. He was also a co-founder of the Tasman Empire Airways Ltd in 1940, which later should become Air New Zealand
.
Second World War was hitting the prospering business of Qantas hard. Japan
ese attacks in Singapore destroyed half of Qantas' fleet, the airport in Darwin
was under attack as well. Fysh, still officer in RAAF, took responsibility for using Qantas equipment in war-related efforts, for example evacuation and supply flights. In 1946, the Australian government bought Qantas for market value. Fysh was the only manager of the company who supported this course of events. After finishing the negotiations, he became chairman of now government-owned Qantas, succeeding his co-founder McMasters. In 1955 he retired from the position as Managing Director. After controversies with the rest of the Qantas board, he eventually retired as chairman in 1966.
A writer of aviation history, Fysh authored many books during and after his career. In the biography Taming the North: The Story of Alexander Kennedy and Other Queensland Pathfinders which was first published in 1933, Fysh details the life of Alexander Kennedy, the first paying passenger for Qantas and a well-known pastoralist, later recording Kennedy's life in the Australian Dictionary of Biography
. Fysh also wrote The Log of the Astraea, a book on the Imperial Airways
monoplane airliner
Astraea and the events surrounding the airmail flights to England, which eventually led towards Qantas' partnership with the Imperial Airways.
However his most successful publication was an autobiographical
trilogy dealing with Qantas' history and its role in World War II
and transportation in Australia. The first book in the trilogy, Qantas Rising: The Autobiography of the Flying Fysh, is an autobiography of Fysh's life, from World War I and the development of Qantas to the expansion of Qantas into the Qantas Empire Airways in the mid-1930s. The book was "one of the very few autobiographies of airline pioneers", and was noted as "much
to be welcomed" by critical review.
The second book in the series, Qantas at War, was written about the changes of Qantas and the Imperial Airways in times of nationalization
and war
. The book follows the dispute between Qantas. Following the positive response from the prior book in the trilogy, Qantas at War was compared to Winston Churchill
's six-volume history series The Second World War
. Higham (an aviation historian and professor of history) wrote that they (The Second World War and Qantas at War) "are well-written memoirs of the higher direction" and "both leave room for other works which will more mundanely examine the whole of the problems and set the story in its general milieu". When addressing future historians, she states that they "will ever remain most grateful to Sir Hudson for these memoirs".
The trilogy was completed with Wings to the World which was published in 1970. The book oversaw the expansion of Qantas, from the introduction of the Super Constellations to the beginnings of the jet era. Taming of the North, Qantas Rising, Qantas at War and Wings of the World, alongside Front-Line Airline by E. Bennett-Bremner, was selected for a series titled the Qantas Foundation Memorial Book Set. Also authoring a biography on Henry Reed, titled Henry Reed: Van Diemen's Land pioneer in Hobart, 1973, Fysh wrote a profile on the merchant in the Australian Dictionary of Biography in 1967. He also wrote a treatise
on trout fishing, Round the bend in the stream, in 1968.
, he was knight
ed in 1953, becoming a Knight-Commander of the Order of the British Empire
.
He received an honorary
Engineering Doctorate
in 1971.
After Fysh's death in 22 January 2001, to mark the centenary year
of Australia Day
, he was named in the list of "100 most influential Australians of the century" by the Sydney Morning Herald.
In theatrical productions, Fysh was portrayed by Brendan Hanson in the Australian television mini-series, Air Australia, a documentary depicting the history of early Australian aviation.
In 2002, Fysh was inducted into the Pacific Air Travel Association's Gallery of Legends for "personal excellence, integrity and a lifetime contribution to travel and tourism", the tenth person ever to be inducted.
In late 2008, an Airbus A380
was named after Hudson Fysh in recognition of his contribution to the aviation industry and Qantas
.
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(7 January 18956 April 1974) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and businessman. A founder of the Australian airline company Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
, Fysh was born in Launceston, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. Serving in the Battle of Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
and Palestine Campaign as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
of the Australian Light Horse Brigade, Fysh later became an observer and gunner to Paul McGinness
Paul McGinness
Paul Joseph McGinness DFC, DCM was an Australian flying ace of the First World War, credited with seven aerial victories. He was a co-founder of Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services. McGinness was born on his family's property at Framlingham, Victoria, near Warrnambool, and attended...
in the AFC. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
during the aftermath of the war for his services to aerial warfare
Aerial warfare
Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift...
.
Fysh, alongside Paul McGinness and Fergus McMaster
Fergus McMaster
Sir Fergus McMaster is an Australian businessman, commonly known as one of the founders of the airline company, QANTAS. McMaster was born in Morinish, a town close to the city of Rockhampton, in Queensland...
started Qantas in 1920. Despite government ownership
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
, Fysh became managing director and chairman of Qantas. A committee member of the International Air Transport Association
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, he became president of the organisation in 1960. He was also one of the founders of the Australian National Travel Association, now known as the Australian Tourist Commission, a member of the Royal Aeronautical
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
and British Interplanetary
British Interplanetary Society
The British Interplanetary Society founded in 1933 by Philip E. Cleator, is the oldest space advocacy organisation in the world whose aim is exclusively to support and promote astronautics and space exploration.-Structure:...
society, the Institute of Transport and the Australasian Pioneers Club.
Acknowledged for his work as an aviation historian
Aviation history
The history of aviation has extended over more than two thousand years from the earliest attempts in kites and gliders to powered heavier-than-air, supersonic and hypersonic flight.The first form of man-made flying objects were kites...
, Fysh wrote books on the history and development of Qantas, exemplifying the airline's role in both military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
and civil aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...
. Authoring a trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
of memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
s dealing with the impact of Qantas in history, the series drew comparisons by critics towards Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
's The Second World War
The Second World War (Churchill)
The Second World War is a history, originally published in six volumes, of the period from the end of the First World War to July 1945, written by Winston Churchill. It was largely responsible for his being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953...
.
Fysh died in Paddington
Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
at the age of 79, on 6 April 1974.
Early and personal life
Wilmot Hudson Fysh was born in the city of LauncestonLaunceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
in Tasmania, Australia, on 7 January 1895. His father, Frederick Wilmot Fysh, was a merchant, while his mother, Mary (née Reed), was the daughter of a famous landowner, Henry Reed
Henry Reed (merchant)
Henry Reed was a British landowner, shipowner, merchant and philanthropist.In later life he moved to Royal Tunbridge Wells where he built an imposing mansion set into the beautiful grounds of Dunorlan Park designed by Robert Marnock....
. Fysh was the oldest of five siblings; Hudson, Henry, Margaret, Mary and Graham. He was also the great-nephew of Sir Philip Fysh
Philip Fysh
Sir Philip Oakley Fysh, KCMG was an Australian politician, Premier of Tasmania and a member of the first federal ministry....
. He had a happy childhood, but it was marred by the failure of his parents' marriage and his father's business. Originally staying with his father, he ran away so often that eventually he was able to stay with his mother. Living in St Leonards
St Leonards, Tasmania
St Leonards is an eastern suburb of Launceston with a mix of residential, semi-rural and rural homes. There are schools and shops and it is a ten minutes drive to the city, this is an alternative to city living....
—a suburb of Launceston—until 1914, he enlisted in the Light Horse upon the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Educated in the Launceston
Launceston Church Grammar School
Launceston Church Grammar School is a co-educational private school in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia for years kindergarten through to Year 12....
and Geelong
Geelong Grammar School
Geelong Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located at Corio, on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay....
grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
s, Fysh worked as a jackaroo
Jackaroo (trainee)
A Jackaroo is a young man working on a sheep or cattle station, to gain practical experience in the skills needed to become an owner, overseer, manager, etc. The word originated in Queensland, Australia in the Nineteenth Century and is still in use in Australia and New Zealand in the twenty-first...
and woolclasser after his education. He was also a cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
in the 70 Infantry Militia as a teenager, before volunteering for the Tasmanian 26th Light Horse upon the outbreak of war. After the foundation of Qantas, Fysh, being a poor student at school, tried to make up for his lack of training by studying economics and taking a course in pelmanism
Pelmanism
Pelmanism may mean:* Pelmanism , a memory-training and personal development "system" popular in the first half of the twentieth century* Pelmanism, a memory-based card game...
. After his retirement from Qantas, Fysh received a honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
degree of Doctor of Engineering
Doctor of Engineering
The Doctor of Engineering is an academic degree awarded on the basis of advanced study and research in engineering or applied sciences...
(EngD), in a commemoration ceremony from the University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
, in 1971.
Described as a man of "great political acumen" and having "a hard head for business", Fysh had a reputation as a stern, uncompromising taskmaster
Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
. This contrasted against his "shy, quiet" nature; he described himself as "painfully shy...as a child feeling looked down on, sensitive, and socially lost." Fysh felt these feelings never left him, being "ill at ease with fame or publicity." Described as single-minded in many instances, his insistence on using a D.H.86
De Havilland Express
The de Havilland Express was a four-engined passenger aircraft from the 1930s manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:...
(De Havilland Express 86) lead to a bitter clash and eventual fall-out between Fysh and Sir Gordan Taylor. Fysh also made rivals in other airline entrepreneurs such as Norman Brearley
Norman Brearley
Sir Norman Brearley CBE was a commercial and military pilot and one of the pioneers of the airline industry within Australia.-Aviation career:...
, a founder of Western Australian Airways.
On 5 December 1923, Fysh married Elizabeth Eleanor ("Nell") Dove, from Hunter River
Hunter River
The Hunter River is a major river in New South Wales, Australia. The Hunter River rises in the Liverpool Range and flows generally south and then east, reaching the Pacific Ocean at Newcastle, the second largest city in New South Wales and a major port....
, in St James Church of England, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. They had a son and daughter, John Hudson Fysh and Wendy Elizabeth Fysh, both born in Longreach. Fysh described his family as the reason he persisted with the company and "his bulwark against the [company's] relentless pressures"
World War I
Pontville, Tasmania
Pontville is a small rural community north of Hobart, in the south east of Tasmania, Australia. At the 2006 census, Pontville had a population of 2,166....
, following the declaration of the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Initially commissioned as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
, Fysh was transported from Hobart on the HMAT Geelong to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on 20 October 1914. He received his training in Egypt, and arrived at Gallipoli in May 1915; only two weeks after the initial Anzacs had arrived. Fysh was evacuated on December 1915, after serving for 7 months in the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
.
He served in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and Sinai, fighting in the Palestine Campaign for the 'C' Squadron of the Light Horse Regiment. He was transferred from Palestine in 17 July 1916, to the 1st Light Horse Brigade, Machine Gun Squadron. First promoted to corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in January 1917. Fighting under lieutenant Ross Smith
Ross Macpherson Smith
Sir Ross Macpherson Smith KBE, MC & Bar, DFC & Two Bars, AFC was an Australian aviator, who, along with his brother, Sir Keith Macpherson Smith, became the first pilots to fly from England to Australia, ....
in the Light Horse, he soon replaced Smith as the section officer when Smith was transfer to the Flying Corps.
On July 1917, Fysh requested a transfer from the Light Horse Brigade to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. After months of training, he qualified as an observer and gunner
Air gunner
An air gunner a.k.a. aerial gunner is a member of an air force aircrew who operates flexible-mount or turret-mounted machine guns or autocannons in an aircraft...
, in October 1917. Originally fighting for the Royal Flying Corps No. 67 squadron, he later fought for the No.1 Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps, under the command of Major Richard Williams.
In the Flying Corps, Fysh was gunner to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Sydney W. Addison and later to Lieutenant Paul McGinness. Engaging in battle as gunner in a Bristol Fighter
Bristol F.2 Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War flown by the Royal Flying Corps. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter or popularly the "Brisfit" or "Biff". Despite being a two-seater, the F.2B proved to be an agile aircraft...
, against German and Turkish aircraft in the Middle Eastern campaigns
Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
The Middle Eastern theatre of World War I was the scene of action between 29 October 1914, and 30 October 1918. The combatants were the Ottoman Empire, with some assistance from the other Central Powers, and primarily the British and the Russians among the Allies of World War I...
, Fysh was an observer ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
, shooting down 5 enemy aircraft. On 8 January 1919, Fysh was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
. The award was gazette
Gazette
A gazette is a public journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.In English- and French-speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name Gazette since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers bear the name The Gazette.Gazette is a loanword from the...
d in the London Gazette and the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 8 February 1919 and 23 May 1919 respectively.
Survey of the Great Air Race
Heliopolis (Cairo Suburb)
Modern Heliopolis is a district in Cairo, Egypt. The city was established in 1905 by the Heliopolis Oasis Company, headed by the Belgian industrialist Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Empain, as well as Boghos Nubar, son of the Egyptian Prime Minister Nubar Pasha.-History:The Baron Empain, a well known...
, Fysh received his flying licence, graduating as a scout pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
. In March 1919, an announcement was made by the Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, William Morris Hughes, of a Great Air Race
Great Air Race
There are two pages on Wikipedia relating to "Great Air Race"If you were looking for the 1919 Great Air Race go to this page; England to Australia flight.If you were looking for the 1934 Great Air Race go to this page; MacRobertson Air Race....
for the "first successful flight to Australia from Great Britain in a machine manned by Australians". The prize money was £A
Australian pound
The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...
10,000 (or £8,000 sterling
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
), under the condition that the flight is completed within 720 hours, and before midnight of 31 December 1919. Deciding to join the race, Fysh regrouped with Paul McGinness, as his co-pilot.
To fund the race, McGinness approached Sir Samuel McCaughey
Samuel McCaughey
Sir Samuel McCaughey was an Irish-born pastoralist, politician and philanthropist in Australia.-Early life:McCaughey was born at Tullyneuh, near Ballymena, Ireland, the son of Francis McCaughey, farmer and merchant, and his wife Eliza, née Wilson.McCaughey came to Australia with an uncle, Charles...
, the man who donated the plane that McGinness flew in for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. McCaughey agreed to fund the race, and they were joined by Arthur Baird, their flight-sergeant engineer during the war. Prior to the race, on 25 July 1919, McCaughey died and his executors refused to honour his agreement with McGinness. As a result, plans for the race were abandoned. Instead, Fysh and McGinness were commissioned to survey Northern Australia
Northern Australia
The term northern Australia is generally known to include two State and Territories, being Queensland and the Northern Territory . The part of Western Australia north of latitude 26° south—a definition widely used in law and State government policy—is also usually included...
for the preparation of the Air Race, by Major-General James Gordon Legge
James Gordon Legge
Lieutenant General James Gordon Legge CB, CMG was an Australian Army Lieutenant General who served in World War I. His son Stanley Ferguson Legge reached the rank of Major General.-Early life and career:...
(later Lieutenant-General) from the Defence Department
Department of Defence (Australia)
The Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force . The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
. They were instructed to survey the route from the town of Longreach, past Katherine
Katherine, Northern Territory
Katherine is a town situated southeast of Darwin in the "Top End" of Australia in the Northern Territory. It is the fourth largest settlement in the Territory after the capital Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs...
, and ending at the state capital of Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
.
Arriving in Longreach in August, 1919, they acquired a Model T Ford
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
, as a transport for the survey, and were accompanied by a mechanic, George Gorham. Leaving Longreach on 18 August 1919, the group traveled through Winton
Winton, Queensland
-Qantas:Winton was one of the founding towns of the Australian airline Qantas. The first board meeting was held at the Winton Club on 10 February 1921.-Waltzing Matilda:...
, Kynuna and McKinlay, reaching the town of Cloncurry
Cloncurry, Queensland
-Notable residents:*Writer Alexis Wright grew up in Cloncurry.*Association Footballer Kasey Wehrman was born in Cloncurry . He went on to play domestically and in Scandinavia. His achievements include winning a NSL Championship in 1996-1997 with the Brisbane Strikers and being capped several times...
in 20 August 1919. They were the first people to travel across the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
, using an automobile. The team traveled through Burketown
Burketown, Queensland
- Morning glory cloud :From the months of August to November, a rare meteorological phenomenon known as "Morning Glory" - long, tubular clouds, some up to 1000 km in length - is often observed in the skies above Burketown.....
, the stations of Westmoreland and Wollorgorang, before reaching Hobble Chain Creek. From there, they traveled through Big Running Creek, Calvert River, Warbys Lagoon, Snake Lagoon, Fulch River, Werrin River, Fletcher River, Feathertop Creek. As none of the rivers have bridges, the group had to wade across the rivers. Following a route taken by Ludwig Leichhardt
Ludwig Leichhardt
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
in 1845, they reached Borroloola
Borroloola, Northern Territory
Borroloola is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located on the McArthur River, about 50 km upstream from the Gulf of Carpentaria. At the 2006 census, Borroloola had a population of 773, of whom 579 declared themselves indigenous....
. Fysh began a diary of maps and photography, to record their journey across Northern Australia.
Roper River
The Roper River is one of the largest rivers in the Northern Territory, Australia, extending east for over 500 km to meet the sea in Limmen Bight on the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is navigable for about 145 km, until the tidal limit at Roper Bar, and forms the southern boundary of the region...
, and arriving at Katherine in 8 October 1919. From Katherine, they took a train, Leaping Lena, to Darwin. In total, the pair had traveled through 2180 kilometre in their Model T Ford, taking up 51 days for their trip from Longreach to Katherine. As a result of their journey across the outback, the group found Legge's route lacking the necessary open space for aircraft landing. Fysh and McGinness became convinced that an alternate route through the Barkly Tableland will be more convenient for the winners of the air race, after talking to some motorcyclists from Sydney.
Upon reaching Darwin, McGinness and Gorham traveled back to Cloncurry to survey and build landing routes on the way there, while Fysh was to stay in Darwin and create suitable landing strips there and at Katherine. In a letter addressed to General Legge dated to 30 October 1919, Fysh rejected the use of the racecourse in Darwin, which was originally picked by Reginald Lloyd
Reginald Lloyd
Reginald "Reg"/"Reggie" G. 'Wolla' Lloyd is a Welsh former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s and '40s who at club level has played rugby union for Resolven RFC, and at representative level has played rugby league for Wales, and at club level for Keighley, and...
(the head of the first ground survey to find a suitable route for the aircraft), as the landing ground for the winning aircraft. He then suggested an alternate strip, locating one near Fannie Bay, to the north of Darwin. Shortly before the landing of the Smith brothers, the landing strip at Fannie Bay was completed at the cost of £A700.
On 10 December 1919, the team of Ross Smith
Ross Macpherson Smith
Sir Ross Macpherson Smith KBE, MC & Bar, DFC & Two Bars, AFC was an Australian aviator, who, along with his brother, Sir Keith Macpherson Smith, became the first pilots to fly from England to Australia, ....
, Keith Smith
Keith Macpherson Smith
Sir Keith Macpherson Smith KBE, was an Australian aviator, who, along with his brother, Sir Ross Macpherson Smith and two other men, became the first people to fly from England to Australia....
, Jim Bennett and Wally Shiers, winners of the Great Race, arrived in Darwin and were greeted by Fysh (as the official representative of the Defence Department). Deciding to return to Longreach in May 1920, Fysh met Alexander Kennedy
Alexander Kennedy
Sir Alexander Blackie William Kennedy, LLD, FRS, FRGS , better known as Alexander Kennedy, was a leading British civil and electrical engineer and academic...
, when he was given hospitality in Kennedy's homestead, Bushby Park. As McGinness had stopped at the homestead earlier on his way to Cloncurry, Kennedy told Fysh about McGinness' idea of an airline service for the region.
Foundation of Qantas
Earlier on, McGinness had met a grazier, Fergus McMaster, when McMaster's car axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
had broken down on a bed in Cloncurry River. McGinness fixed the car, gaining the respect of McMaster. McGinness and Fysh headed off to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, further developing their plan along the way. Coincidentally, McMaster also went to Brisbane. Upon realising this, Fysh and McGinness, explained their airline plans to him. The initial plans for the airline service consisted of joyriding, air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
trips and charter services spanning the Northern Territory— Western Queensland region of Australia. As a result, on 20 June 1920 in Brisbane's Gresham Hotel
Gresham Hotel
The Gresham Hotel is a hotel in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Located on O'Connell Street, the hotel is a Dublin institution. This landmark building has recently been refurbished.-History:...
, McGinness, Fysh, McMaster and Alan Campbell, an adviser for the Queensland Primary Producers, began to register the new airline company. The registration of the company was not finalised that day. It took several months before a name and the necessary funds were found for the business.
Funds for the company were lacking. Demonstrating his faith in the airline, Fysh invested his savings of £A500 (£400 sterlings), while McGinness invested £1000. After being contacted by the group, Arthur Baird joined them in the idea, once again closing his garage business. A main investor for Qantas was Ainslie Templeton, a friend of Fergus McMaster and a woolgrower in the Longreach district, who promised to match McMaster's investments in the "air service project", upon being told of the idea. Fysh and McGinness then traveled through the towns in the Northern Territory and Queensland, asking for investments for the airline. They were met with positive responses. After observing a shareholder writing "Donation" across the cheque butt
Cheque
A cheque is a document/instrument See the negotiable cow—itself a fictional story—for discussions of cheques written on unusual surfaces. that orders a payment of money from a bank account...
, Fysh wrote:
Partially due to McMaster's intervention, the original plans for air-taxi work and joyriding gave way for airmail services, which would link communication in the settlements between Darwin and Longreach. McMaster summarised it as "an aerial mail service from Longreach to Port Darwin, connecting at Winton, Cloncurry, Avon Downs, Anthony Lagoon, Newcastle Waters and The Katherine", therefore making it the longest direct air service in the world at that time. Another plan for Qantas came forth with Dr Frederick Archibald Michod, a doctor and aviator in Longreach who became foundation director of Qantas after its formation. Visiting cattle stations and private properties in to give medical treatment, Michod was aware of the difficulties faced in the outback. Establishing a hospital in Longreach, he often used his aircraft as an aerial ambulance. He proposed an idea for a "flying doctor", which would later take form in the late 1920s with the Presbyterian minister
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
, John Flynn
John Flynn
John Flynn may refer to:*John Flynn , professional baseball player*John Flynn , American film director*John Flynn , Irish footballer...
.
The airline was provided with a wool store as their first hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
by a Winton local, Alba Woolscour. On 7 February 1921, the first and only Qantas board meeting
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
in Winton was held in the Winton Club, three days after the pilots landed, on 10 February. A quick decision was made to move Qantas headquarters to Longreach, which would be more central to operations, with easier access to passengers and spare parts.
Qantas first fleet and flight
Sunbeam Dyak
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.-External links:*...
engines, bought at £A1,425 each. The purchase for the 504K was dated 19 August 1920, and under the name of The Western Queensland Auto Aero Service Limited. The Avro was one of the original, of six, military aircraft built in Australia by AA & E Co. Ltd. upon the orders of the Commonwealth Government for the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF). AA & E later went into liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
after falling to their cheaper British competitors.
However a delay in the engines caused anxiety in the pilots, with their financial circumstance lingering. A decision was soon put up to order a third aircraft, with the company considering both the Avro Triplane and the "Westland Limousine Machine". After initial misgiving by McMaster, Fysh and McGinness finally settled for the Avro Triplane. The Triplane was bought for £A2,798, and was considered a revolution in airplane technology, able to hold 4 passengers in an enclosed cabin. The Avro had also won a £A10,000 competition sponsored by the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
for the "best commercial aircraft". Due to their financial circumstances however, the order for one of the Avro 504K was cancelled.
After being informed that the Dyak engine was ready by the owner of the Aerodrome, Nigel Love, in 23 November 1920; they were told that the Avro 504K would be ready by December. However the aircraft was delayed until 25 January 1923, upon which McGinness send a wire message to McMaster stating that all tests have been complete with satisfactory results. Fysh, who was also in Mascot, was left redundant due to the cancellation of the second Avro 504K, until Charles Knight, a Longreach stock and station agent, requested him to fly a RAF B.E.2e back to Longreach. Despite only having thirty minutes of practice on the BE2e during his pilot licence training, Fysh agreed to fly it, with Baird as his passenger. Fysh later stated that "when I took the aeroplane over, the problem of my own temporary redundancy was solved".
On 31 January 1921, 6 days after McGinness sent the message to McMaster, McGinness, Fysh and Baird took off from Mascot aiming to reach Moree
Moree, New South Wales
Moree is a large town in Moree Plains Shire in northern New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the banks of the Mehi River in the centre of the rich black-soil plains....
before dark. Due to the strong winds and turbulence
Turbulence
In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is a flow regime characterized by chaotic and stochastic property changes. This includes low momentum diffusion, high momentum convection, and rapid variation of pressure and velocity in space and time...
, the BE2e began to spin, disorientating Fysh in the process. Landing his aircraft on an upside slope of a hill, they came to rest near a miner's cottage. Fysh and Baird soon found out that they were near Red Head mine (formally named "Lambton B Pit"), close to Singleton
Singleton, New South Wales
-Industry & Commerce:Major industries near Singleton include coal mining, energy generation, light industry, vineyards, horse breeding and cattle production. Dairying was once a mainstay in the area, but has declined....
.
Joining McGinness, who had safely arrived in Singleton, they flew northwards; stopping at Moree, St. George
St George, Queensland
St George is a town of approximately 2400 people in south-western Queensland, Australia. It is the administrative centre for the Shire of Balonne. It was named by Major Thomas Mitchell who crossed the Balonne River on St George's Day, 23 April 1846. At the 2006 census, St George had a population of...
, Charleville
Charleville, Queensland
Charleville is a town in south western Queensland, Australia, 758 kilometres by road west of Brisbane . It is the largest town and administrative centre of the Murweh Shire, which covers an area of 43,905 square kilometres...
, Blackall
Blackall, Queensland
-External links:*...
, and then at Barcaldine
Barcaldine, Queensland
Barcaldine is a small town in Western Queensland, Australia, approximately by road west of the city of Rockhampton. The town is situated on Lagoon Creek, which flows into the Alice River approximately five kilometres south of the Barcaldine. This is the administrative centre of the Barcaldine...
, the last stop before reaching Longreach. Meeting at Barcaldine with McMaster, who had caught the train from Rockhampton to the town, McMaster decided to fly with them to Longreach, hoping their arrival in the town would be "impressive and historical". Reaching Longreach in the scheduled time, the flight beat the mail train from Barcaldine by 20 minutes despite the train leaving Barcaldine 2 hour earlier. Mapping the airline's short-term future in the Shakespeare Hotel in Longreach, they soon planned the last leg of the journey to Winton.
With Ainslie Templeton accompanying McMaster and McGinness in the Avro, Fysh flew with the owner of the aircraft, Charles Knight, to Winton on 7 February 1921. The trip of one and a half hours took considerably longer than that, with McGinness steering in the wrong direction, causing them to lose their path. They finally reached Winton after 3 hours of flight, with 15 minutes worth of fuel left. After "landing gracefully" to the cheering of a crowd in Winton, they were "entertained at a smoke concert at the North Gregory Hotel." In the hotel, McMaster outlined the links between aviation and defence, in reference to the future of Qantas.
The next day, the 2 aircraft took off from Winton in order to return to Longreach. With Knight as his passenger in the BE2e, Fysh lost his way, missing Longreach by 20 miles (32.2 km); he navigated his way back to the town by following the Thompson River. The journey, coupled with the earlier delayed trip when flying from Longreach to Winton, proved to be too much for Knight, who sold the BE2e to the company upon landing, swearing that "nothing would induce him to fly again." The cost of the aircraft was £A450 which was partially bought, as insisted by McMaster, in the form of shares to the airline company.
Further career with Qantas
In 1922, Qantas was successful in bidding for the second Australian scheduled air route, which was to be established between CharlevilleCharleville, Queensland
Charleville is a town in south western Queensland, Australia, 758 kilometres by road west of Brisbane . It is the largest town and administrative centre of the Murweh Shire, which covers an area of 43,905 square kilometres...
and Cloncurry
Cloncurry, Queensland
-Notable residents:*Writer Alexis Wright grew up in Cloncurry.*Association Footballer Kasey Wehrman was born in Cloncurry . He went on to play domestically and in Scandinavia. His achievements include winning a NSL Championship in 1996-1997 with the Brisbane Strikers and being capped several times...
. The route was backed by the government, procured by relations between Qantas and regional politicians. While still piloting regularly until 1930, hard working Fysh studied business and management, and became managing director in 1923. When the airmail route to England was planned, Qantas successfully tendered, with Fysh involved in planning the route in the years 1931 to 1933. The final agreement saw Qantas flying the airmail to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, where british Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
would take over. 1934, Qantas and Imperial Airways built a new company, Qantas Empire Airways, with both companies holding 50% of the stock. Fysh became Managing Director in the new formed company as well. He was also a co-founder of the Tasman Empire Airways Ltd in 1940, which later should become Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
.
Second World War was hitting the prospering business of Qantas hard. Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese attacks in Singapore destroyed half of Qantas' fleet, the airport in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
was under attack as well. Fysh, still officer in RAAF, took responsibility for using Qantas equipment in war-related efforts, for example evacuation and supply flights. In 1946, the Australian government bought Qantas for market value. Fysh was the only manager of the company who supported this course of events. After finishing the negotiations, he became chairman of now government-owned Qantas, succeeding his co-founder McMasters. In 1955 he retired from the position as Managing Director. After controversies with the rest of the Qantas board, he eventually retired as chairman in 1966.
Published works
Australian Dictionary of Biography
The Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
. Fysh also wrote The Log of the Astraea, a book on the Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
monoplane airliner
Airliner
An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...
Astraea and the events surrounding the airmail flights to England, which eventually led towards Qantas' partnership with the Imperial Airways.
However his most successful publication was an autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
trilogy dealing with Qantas' history and its role in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and transportation in Australia. The first book in the trilogy, Qantas Rising: The Autobiography of the Flying Fysh, is an autobiography of Fysh's life, from World War I and the development of Qantas to the expansion of Qantas into the Qantas Empire Airways in the mid-1930s. The book was "one of the very few autobiographies of airline pioneers", and was noted as "much
to be welcomed" by critical review.
The second book in the series, Qantas at War, was written about the changes of Qantas and the Imperial Airways in times of nationalization
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
. The book follows the dispute between Qantas. Following the positive response from the prior book in the trilogy, Qantas at War was compared to Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
's six-volume history series The Second World War
The Second World War (Churchill)
The Second World War is a history, originally published in six volumes, of the period from the end of the First World War to July 1945, written by Winston Churchill. It was largely responsible for his being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953...
. Higham (an aviation historian and professor of history) wrote that they (The Second World War and Qantas at War) "are well-written memoirs of the higher direction" and "both leave room for other works which will more mundanely examine the whole of the problems and set the story in its general milieu". When addressing future historians, she states that they "will ever remain most grateful to Sir Hudson for these memoirs".
The trilogy was completed with Wings to the World which was published in 1970. The book oversaw the expansion of Qantas, from the introduction of the Super Constellations to the beginnings of the jet era. Taming of the North, Qantas Rising, Qantas at War and Wings of the World, alongside Front-Line Airline by E. Bennett-Bremner, was selected for a series titled the Qantas Foundation Memorial Book Set. Also authoring a biography on Henry Reed, titled Henry Reed: Van Diemen's Land pioneer in Hobart, 1973, Fysh wrote a profile on the merchant in the Australian Dictionary of Biography in 1967. He also wrote a treatise
Treatise
A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
on trout fishing, Round the bend in the stream, in 1968.
Tributes
As a result of his contributions to international aviationAviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
, he was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1953, becoming a Knight-Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
He received an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Engineering Doctorate
Engineering Doctorate
The Engineering Doctorate scheme is a British postgraduate education programme promoted by the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council . The programme is undertaken over four years. Students conduct PhD-equivalent research and undertake taught business and technical courses whilst...
in 1971.
After Fysh's death in 22 January 2001, to mark the centenary year
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
of Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
, he was named in the list of "100 most influential Australians of the century" by the Sydney Morning Herald.
In theatrical productions, Fysh was portrayed by Brendan Hanson in the Australian television mini-series, Air Australia, a documentary depicting the history of early Australian aviation.
In 2002, Fysh was inducted into the Pacific Air Travel Association's Gallery of Legends for "personal excellence, integrity and a lifetime contribution to travel and tourism", the tenth person ever to be inducted.
In late 2008, an Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
was named after Hudson Fysh in recognition of his contribution to the aviation industry and Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
.