COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA continued...

TASMANIAN FIRST FLIGHTS BY ANA: 1-2 May 1931 (AAMC.197, 198a) Hobart - Melbourne (reg'd) and Melbourne - Launceston flown covers, both with special cachets; together with 2 additional covers flown Launceston - Melbourne, both signed by the pilot, G.U. Allan. (4 covers).

QANTAS AIR MAIL VIGNETTES: May 1931 (AAMC.202c; Frommer 36b) "NORTH QUEENSLAND / Australia's Winter Playground" blue & white vignettes, complete strip (8), as issued, MUH.

ELLY BEINHORN original pen signature on an autograph page with "D-2-160" (her Klemm Swallow registration number) and "Berlin - Australia 27-3-32" at right. [See AAMC.229-30]. 

Beinhorn flew her Klemm Swallow D-2160 from Berlin, arriving in Darwin, Northern Territory, on March 22, 1932, and then to Sydney in April. She was the first German and second woman to fly solo to Australia, making her a national hero in Germany. She was welcomed in Queensland, landing at Archerfield Aerodrome.

1932-33 (AAMC.242) Australia - Germany flown cover carried on the return of the Bertram Atlantis Expedition franked 3d Airmail tied by DARWIN 12 DE 32 cds, plus Dutch East Indies (2) for arrival and departure after a long delay for repairs, AKYAB (Burma) cds tieing India 3a Air and German 10pf Eagle tied by BERLIN 14 4 33 arrival cds. Cat.$1750.

BARON de VERNEILH, M.E. DEVE and E. MUNCH original pen signatures on an autograph page, collected following their arrival in Brisbane in March 1932. [See AAMC.253-254a). Captain Verneilh and his crew had flown from France to New Caledonia with an intermediate stop in Australia in a Couxinet 33 "Bairritz" [F-ALMV]. The plane was severely damaged in a crash landing at Noumea, but the crew escaped injury. Very few covers were carried.

7 June 1932 (AAMC.264) Darwin - Wyndham flown cover, carried by J.J. Thorpe in his Gypsy Moth and signed and endorsed by him "Carried from Darwin to Wyndham in Aeroplane VH-UPD Around Australia 6/6/32", [one of only 3 flown]. Cat.$500+.

11 January 1933 (AAMC.296) Sydney - New Plymouth (New Zealand) cover flown and signed by Charles Kingsford Smith and his crew (Jack Percival, P.G. Taylor, John Stannage) on the Second Trans-Tasman flight in the "Southern Cross"; with typed details on the rear flap indicating that the flight of 1,200 miles took 14 hours, 10 minutes. [10 flown; 10 others were postmarked at Gisborne]. AAMC - $1750.

DR CARL NAUER original pen signature on an autograph page titled by him "1. Flight Switzerland - Australia, 16.5.33". [See AAMC.304-307d]. Following his arrival, he flew across the continent with stops in Camooweal, Cloncurry, Longreach, and Brisbane (landing at Archerfield on May 17, 1933). Tragically, Nauer's career was short-lived. In August 1933, while attempting a record-breaking return flight from Cape Town to London, his aircraft disappeared. All hope for his survival was abandoned by August 26, 1933, after he was last seen near the mouth of the Congo River. He was 23 years old at the time of his death.

CAPTAIN ARCHIBALD PRENDERGAST original pen signature on an autograph page, together with those of G.C. Loveday, Francis R. Boyd and C.F. Griffiths and dated 24/6/33 with the page titled "London - Australia Flight 1933", a reference to the Imperial Airways Survey Flight via the Armstrong Whitworth "Atalanta" in anticipation of establishing a regular England - Australia airmail service, which eventually began in December 1934. Tragically, Captain Prendergast died in November 1934, when a Qantas DH-86 he was delivering from England crashed near Longreach, Queensland. A particularly rare autograph.

Dec.1933 & April 1934 (AAMC.371a) A special souvenir card, carried twice aboard the "Faith in Australia" on Trans-Tasman flights; the first time in December 1933 signed by Boulton, Allan and Ulm; the second time in April 1934 signed by Rogers and again by Ulm with additional NZ 1d adhesive tied 12th April 1934 before the return flight to Australia. [Crome's records indicate that only 10 such cards were thus prepared and flown]. Cat.$500.

October 1934 (AAMC.428-29a) The Perth - Daly Waters Service operated by MacRobertson Miller: a comprehensive study on annotated album pages comprising of covers flown all-the-way in both directions, plus intermediates despatched from Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Roebourne, Whim Creek, Perth, Carnarvon, Onslow, Hall's Creek, Port Hedland, Broome and Daly Waters. (19 flown covers). Cat.$2800+.

3 October 1934 (AAMC.429a) MacRobertson - Miller Aviation Co. first flight covers between Carnarvon and Broome, Perth and Ord River, and Broome and Perth; all with arrival backstamps. (3). Cat.$450.

October 1934 (AAMC.434) MacRobertson AIr Race cover, flown and signed by Roscoe Turner, together with an example of his oversized postcard recording his flight and achievement of 3rd place in the race. (2 items).

October 1934 (AAMC.438 & 438a) MacRobertson Air Race covers carried by Hewitt & Kay; England - Australia (signed by Kay) and England - Australia - New Zealand. (2).

October 1934 (AAMC.440) MacRobertson Air Race cover flown and signed by the pilots, McGregor & Walker; with special cachet; 3 Dec.1934 backstamped on return to Mildenhall. Cat.$300+.

A most attractive group of vignettes and labels including 1934 "Perth to Darwin & Branch Routes" by MacRobertson-Miller; QANTAS Empire Airways "Kangaroo Service", Barrier Reef Airways, Port Macquarie Clipper, TAA, and 1952 QANTAS 30th Anniversary labels in a complete booklet pane of 5 with top margin. All with full gum.

25 March 1935 (AAMC.494-95) Narromine - Sydney and return flown covers, carried and signed by the pilot, Harry Purvis for WASP Airlines; both covers also with the attractive "WASP" Sydney Harbour Bridge vignettes affixed. (2).

The Last Flight of the "Southern Cross" 18 July 1935 (AAMC.514) a cover carried from Mascot to Richmond, with special vignette showing the route the aeroplane had followed around the world; signed by Charles Kingsford Smith.

The Last Flight of the "Southern Cross" 18 July 1935 (AAMC.515) a cover (#61) carried from Mascot to Richmond, with special vignette showing the route the aeroplane had followed around the world; signed by Charles Kingsford Smith, Mary Kingsford Smith, P.G. Taylor, John Stannage and all other personnel on board.

The Last Flight of the "Southern Cross" 18 July 1935 (AAMC.515) a cover (#76) carried from Mascot to Richmond, with special vignette showing the route the aeroplane had followed around the world; signed by Charles Kingsford Smith, Mary Kingsford Smith, P.G. Taylor, John Stannage and all other personnel on board.