Air

AVIATION AT KANGAROO ISLAND.

1927 Our Kingscote correspondent telegraphed, as follows on Tuesday:— Kangaroo Island was connected up with the airways of Australia on Monday, when Capt. Miller landed here at 11 am. The flying occupied less than an hour. Many residents made a trip aloft to view the island. Messrs. McKinnon and A. Anderson made the first flight, and Mrs. R. J. Cook was the first lady passenger. Capt. Miller stated that the coastline made the flying very attractive. His Excellency the Governor (Sir Tom Bridges) left by 'plane for Adelaide at 6.40 a.m. to-day.

KANGAROO ISLAND BY AIR

Sixty Minutes' Journey

1927 Capt. Miller, the well-known aviator, left Albert Park aerodrome this morning at 9.45 to fly to Kingscote, Kangaroo island. Capt. Miller had as passenger Mr. G. D. Bewick, [sic] [Garibaldi David Buick] of Kingscote, to whom goes the honor of being the first passenger to be conveyed by air from the mainland to Kangaroo Island. Sir Tom Bridges (Governor) has flown from the island to the mainland. The services of Capt. Miller reduce the time between Adelaide and Kingscote from about eight hours taken by boats to one hour.

Air Services

1935. With a nominal capital of £250,000 a company has been formed in Adelaide, to be known as Adelaide Airways Limited, to run services within the State. The Adelaide Steamship Company is the manager of the new company. It is announced that the services will be begun with two Monospar Jubilee Model ST25 aeroplanes, each of which will be equipped with two Pobjoy Niagara engines, capable of a cruising speed of 130 miles an hour. These machines have been thoroughly tested and proved by leading airway services and experts in the United Kingdom, and should be available in Adelaide in about three months' time. The aeroplanes are well equipped, comfortably furnished, and will seat four passengers, in addition to the pilot. It is the intention of the company to begin services from Adelaide to Port Lincoln, Yorke Peninsula, and Kangaroo Island, and the 'planes will be available for hire to country centres where suitable aerodromes are provided.

1937 Beginning from Monday, Australian National Airways will operate a different service to Kangaroo Island each day. The company's Scion will be replaced by a Dragon, and later it is expected that that plane will be replaced by a Dragon Rapide. Kingscote will in future be the terminal point at Kangaroo Island, and no intermediate stops will be made at Penneshaw and American River, as previously. Penneshaw and American River traffic — mail and passenger — will be catered for with a motor car service that will meet each plane on its arrival from Parafield. Incidentally, the Kangaroo Island service was the first air mail route in Australia that carried all mail matter without surcharge Other routes carried first-class mail matter, but the Kangaroo Island service catered for all classes of mail.

Meeting of Residents.

1939 On Monday evening June 19th a meeting of residents of the town and district was held in the Reading Room, to discuss the matter of applying to the Commonwealth Government for a subsidy for the maintenance of an Air Service to Kangaroo Island. Mr R. McKinnon presided, and Mr D. Davidson carried out the duties of Secretary. The Chairman of the District Council (Cr. M. Smith) informed the meeting that he had forwarded a letter to the Minister for Civil Aviation, requesting that a subsidy be granted for the maintenance of an Air Service to K.I. It was decided that a letter be sent to the Minister from the meeting to support of the letter sent by the Chairman on behalf of the District Council. The motion being moved by Dr. F. E. Welch and seconded by Mr T. D. Davidson. It was also decided to request the Federal and State Members for the district to give this matter their support. An apology was received from Mrs D. R. Lade for her absence.

[A telegram has been received from Mr A. G. Cameron M.H.R. stating that he would do his best to push the matter of a subsidy and would advise the Chairman of the meeting of the result.]

Fat Sheep By Air

1951. An A.N.A. Bristol Freighter last month landed at Kangaroo Island to pick up 120 sheep for the Adelaide market. Average weight of the sheep was about 100-lb. The animals were the first sheep over to be flown from Kangaroo Island, which is about 90 miles by air from Adelaide. They were landed at Parafield airport and walked about a mile to the abattoir. Many of Kangaroo Island's farmers are ex soldiers, and Mr. I. H. Grabowsky, Planning and Development Manager of A.N.A, said his company was trying to help them to stock their properties and to transport their fat sheep to the Adelaide market. With a second deck fitted, he said, the Bristol freighter could carry 100 sheep.

GOVERNOR FLIES PLANE TO KI

1953 KINGSCOTE, Monday: The Governor, Sir Robert George, took the controls of the Guinea Airways DC3 in which he flew to Kangaroo Island today (exclusive picture above). He flew the airliner the whole way, and put it down in a perfect landing at Kingscote Airport. Sir Robert George is an Air Vice-Marshal in the RAF. There were 24 passengers in the plane. Sir Robert, who today begins an official tour of Kangaroo Island, entered the pilot's cabin shortly after the DC3 took off from Parafield. Officials of the welcoming committee at Kingscote were surprised when their first sight of the Governor was through a window in the nose of the plane as he taxied it up to the tarmac. Capt. N. S. Buckley, captain of the DC3, said afterwards it had been flown by an expert. "Sir Robert does not get much flying experience these days, but he is as good a pilot as I have seen," he said. After the Governor had left the plane he met the chairman of the district council Cr. A. S G. Barrett, and the town clerk, Mr Barreia. Accompanied by Capt. Peter Samuel, ADC, the Governor then attended a civic reception and council luncheon.