Description: 2021 First Regular AirmailMint Unhinged $1.10 StampOverviewFrench aviator Maurice Guillaux (1883–1917) made the first airmail flight in Australia, in 1914, in his Bleriot XI monoplane. The Melbourne to Sydney flight encompassed six stops and carried a cargo of souvenir postcards, official letters and a small number of parcels.While Guillaux’s flight demonstrated the viability of airmail, it was essentially an exhibition flight rather than the beginning of the domestic airmail service in Australia. That milestone occurred seven years later, following the passing of the Air Navigation Act 1920 (which came into force in March 1921) and the subsequent call for tenders to operate a subsidised airmail and passenger service in the north-west of Western Australia. At the time, mail delivery in that part of the country was a monthly service that took around two weeks by steamship.The tender was won by businessman and aviator Norman Brearley (1890–1989), who had served as a pilot during World War I. On winning the tender he established Western Australian Airways (WAA; renamed West Australia Airways in 1928), acquiring six Bristol Tourers for the weekly service between Geraldton and Derby, which took around three days, with stops at Carnarvon, Onslow, Roebourne, Port Headland and Broome. Qantas won second airmail contract a year later, in November 1922, which flew the inland Queensland route.Sadly, 130 kilometres out of Geraldton on the service’s inaugural flight, on 5 December 1921, one of the Bristol Tourers crash-landed, killing the pilot and mechanic. This prompted the suspension of the service until much-needed work was carried out to improve the number and safety of landing grounds. A minor air service to Port Hedland was established on 22 February 1922 and the full service to Derby restarted on 6 April. The Stamp$1.10 Bristol Tourer and route mapThe stamp shows one the first planes used on the north-west route being refuelled at Carnarvon. A mail bag can be seen under the aircraft. The photograph is from the collections of the State Library of Western Australia. The map, housed in the National Library of Australia, indicates the 2,000-kilometre route between Geraldton and Derby, showing the scheduled stops en route.Please check out my other Ebay items Postage Discount Available If purchasing more than one item please request an invoice or wait for one to be issued combining postage Orders over $40 will require registered mail Payment required within 5 days unless otherwise arranged
Price: 2.5 AUD
Location: Stockton NSW
End Time: 2025-01-12T05:57:38.000Z
Shipping Cost: 3.11 AUD
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Restocking fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
Returns Accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
