This year will mark 100 years since French aviator Maurice Guillaux (1883-1917) made the first air mail flight in Australia. Guillaux left Melbourne on 16 July and arrived in Sydney on 18 July 1914. The flying time was just 9¼ hours, with seven stops en route. On his arrival, Guillaux was welcomed by Governor-General Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson. Guillaux’s cargo included 1,785 souvenir postcards, official letters, a small number of parcels and other items
Australia Post will be releasing a commemorative stamp to mark this historic milestone. Australia Post Philatelic Manager, Michael Zsolt said the centenary of domestic air mail was an aviation milestone and one that also highlighted the vital role air mail has played to help keep people and communities connected.
“The development of aviation greatly influenced transport and communications in the early 20th century, and in a country such as Australia it helped overcome the tyranny of distance. We are pleased to release this commemorative stamp issue, marking a significant milestone in postal and aviation history,” Mr Zsolt said.
A re-enactment of the first domestic air mail flight is planned to take place on 12-14 July 2014. It is being coordinated by the Aviation Historical Society of Australia (NSW).