MS  933
Guide to the Papers of W. Hudson Fysh



Summary

Creator: Fysh, Hudson, Sir, 1895-1974
Title: Papers of Sir Hudson Fysh
Date range: 1937-1967
Reference number:   MS 933
Extent: 6 cm (4 folders)

Access

Available for reference.

Provenance

The papers were donated to the Library by Sir Hudson Fysh in 1965 and 1967.


Scope and Content

The collection comprises articles and speeches by Sir Hudson Fysh, most of which relate to the development and future of air transport and in particular to Qantas Airways Limited, of which he was Managing Director.

Included are two books on Qantas, one by E.A. Crome and one by E. Bennett-Bremner.

Separated Material

The main collection of Sir Hudson Fysh Papers are held by the Mitchell Library at ML MSS 2413.  Papers relating to his war involvement are held at the Australian War Memorial at PR83/078.


Biographical Note

Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh was born in Launceston, Tasmania on 7 January 1895.  He was educated at Launceston Grammar School and Geelong Church of England Grammar School.  Fysh served in the AIF and the Australian Flying Corps during World War I. 

After the War, Fysh and Lt P.J. McGinness surveyed the original air route from Longreach to Darwin for Ross and Keith Smith’s 1919 flight.  He was a pilot with the first official air mail service in Queensland and in 1922 piloted the second flight from Australia to England.

Fysh was a founder of Qantas in 1920.  He was Managing Director of Qantas (later Qantas Empire Airways Ltd.) in 1923-1947 and Chairman and Managing Director in 1947-1955.  He was a member of the Executive Committee of I.A.T.A. (International Air Transport Association) and President for 1961-1962.  He was awarded the Oswald Watt Gold Medal for service to aviation.  He died in 1974.

Reference

Who’s who in Australia (1971)


Item List

Folder 1

Item

1    ‘Australian commercial aviation: Pageant of progress’.  Reprinted from Shipping commerce and aviation, 22 October 1937.  (4p.)

2    ‘Air journey to England’.  Mentions Britain’s air re-armament plan, touches on current aircraft achievements and describes an air trip to Holland, April 1938.  (23p.)

3    [Notes]  To the Executive and Seniors of Qantas Empire Airways on the occasion of removal of head office to Sydney.  [September 1938]  (10p.)

4    ‘Flying-Boat Service: a great link of empire, the past and the future’.  [1938?]  (4p. )

5    ‘The Empire Flying Boat Service: what the scheme means’.  Reprinted from Shipping commerce and aviation of Australia, 22 October 1938.  (Lists the milestones in Qantas history from 1920-1938.  4p.)

6    ‘Impressions of a trip aboard’.  An address delivered to the Millions Club, Sydney, 9 March 1939.  (13p.)

7    ‘A uniform of blue’.  Broadcast on 3 February, [194?] from 2BL Sydney.  (4p.)

8    ‘British interest in a South Pacific Air Service’, Sydney, 1940? (4p.)

9    ‘Flying-Boat operations: first year’s work on Sydney – Singapore route’.  Reprinted from Shipping, commerce and aviation of Australia, 16 October 1939.  (3p.)

10  ‘Empire flying boat operations: continuance under war conditions’.  Reprinted from Shipping, commerce and aviation of Australia, 30 October 1940.  (3p.)

11  ‘Australia’s unknown neighbour, Portuguese Timor’.  (In Walkabout, 1 May 1941, p7-15)

12  ‘The future is in the air’.  Address delivered to the Constitutional Club, Brisbane, 16 October 1941.  (14p.)

13  ‘The aerial shape of things to come’.  (Published in Smith’s weekly, 5 September 1942)  (5p.).

14-15     A selection of articles written by Fysh during a trip to England entitled ‘The Empire and the air age’, ‘British Empire broadcast from the BBC London British Empire Air Power’; ‘England leads in the air’and ‘English speaking air-co-operation’ (published in Flight, 12 August 1943), Sydney, 11 September 1943.  (16p.)

16  ‘Post war overseas airlines as affecting Australia’.  Sydney, 1 November 1943.  (14p. )

Folder 2

Item

17   'Round the world by air in wartime’.  An address delivered to Rotary Club of Sydney, Australia.  16 November 1943.  (10p.)

18   ‘The future of air transport; what part will Australia play?  Dangers of inter-empire competition’.  Sydney, 25 August 1944.  (5p.)

19   ‘Australia in Empire air transport’.  (In the Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, London.  vol. 50, no. 421, January 1946.  (p. 21-72)

20   ‘Support for the British aircraft industry’.  Resume of a speech made at a dinner at the Australia Hotel, Sydney, given by Qantas Empire Airways to welcome Lord Knollys, chairman of BOAC and his party to Australia.  Sydney, 15 March 1946.  (4p.)

21   ‘Qantas Empire Airways faces the facts’.  (Published in Sydney Morning Herald, 31 August 1946.)  (2p.)

22   ‘Qantas Empire Airways’ order of the Super Constellation 1049C type’.  (press release, 1950?, 4p.)

23   Chairman’s address for Qantas Annual General Meeting, 17 December 1946.  (8p.)

24   Speech by the Chairman of the meeting at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Qantas Limited held at Brisbane, 3 July 1947.  (4p.)

25   ‘25 years of air transport’.  A talk on the ABC’s National Programme on 25th Anniversary of the first regular Qantas air service, 2 November 1947, Sydney, 28 October 1947.  (7p.)

26   ‘Future operations on the Australia – England air route.  Installation of the Constellations’.  (Reprinted in part from Aircraft) Sydney, 17 November 1947.  (4p.)

27   Address to Australian Air Force Veterans’ annual re-union.  Sydney, 26 February 1948.  (8p.)

28   [Notes] to the Executives and Seniors of Qantas Empire Airways.  (Includes ideals and ethics and general policy and is a revised version of 1938 notes, 1948? 13p.)

29   ‘A visit to Lake Taupo, New Zealand, a trout fisherman’s paradise’.  Sydney, 18 March 1948.  (7p.)

30   Comment by chairman of Qantas Empire Airways Limited on the profit and loss account and balance sheet for the year ended 31 March 1948.  Qantas news bulletin, December 1948.  (3p.)

31   ‘Impressions in New Guinea’.  An ABC broadcast, 31 July 1949.  Sydney, 19 July 1949.  (9p.)

Folder 3

Item

32-34     ‘I.A.T.A. and friendship: a non-technical answer to the question “what useful purpose is being served [by] the International Air Transport Association?”’  Qantas Empire Airways, Sydney, 1 August 1950.  (4p.)

35   ‘A talk on the progress of air transport to the Legacy Club’, Sydney, 10 April 1952.  (11p.)

36   Broadcast for ABC, station 2FC, Sydney, Sunday 31 August 1952 [by] “Guest of Honour”.  (Relates to first air service linking Australia with South Africa to commence 1 September 1952) Sydney, 26 August 1952.  (5p.)

37-40     Opening of Australia – South Africa Air service: the “Wallaby” service.  Speech made at Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney 1 September 1952.  Quantas Empire Airways (3p.)

41   ‘30 years of air transport’.  Qantas Empire Airways Limited, 5 November 1952.

42   An address delivered at a dinner given by staff member of Qantas Empire Airways at the Wentworth Hotel, Sydney, to celebrate to occasion of Fysh’s knighthood.  Sydney, 28 July 1953.  (14p.)

43   ‘The dawn of aviation in Queensland’.  Reprint of a chapter from the book Taming the north.  Qantas Empire Airways Limited, 1953? (8p.)

44   Statement issued following the announcement by H.L. Anthony, Minister for Civil Aviation, that Qantas Empire Airways is to take over the Pacific Service from British Cathay Pacific Airways, 19 March 1954.  (2p.)

45   Speeches and statements given on the occasion of the opening Qantas Sydney – Vancouver service.  Sydney, 7 June 1954.  (9p.)

46   Australian Air transport advancement.  ‘The Qantas part: early pioneering days’.  (In Walkabout, Australia geographical magazine.  vol. 20, no. 11; 1 November 1954, p.10-15)

47   Speech given at a dinner celebrating the 21st anniversary of the BOAC – Qantas Empire Airways Kangaroo Route partnership, Dorchester Hotel, London, 8 December 1955.  (6p.)

48   ‘Ethics and other things: a souvenir of Qantas Service’.  (Incorporates preamble to notes written in 1938, 1948, 1955) (15p.)

49   ‘Tourism as a business and human need’.  Speech made at the ANTA  dinner, Canberra, 9 February 1957.  Qantas Empire Airways.  (4p.)

50-51     Official opening of Qantas House.  Address given on 28 October 1957.  Qantas Empire Airways Limited.  (4p.)

52   [Speech to] Australian Air League.  Annual Review, 8 December 1957.  Sydney 6 December 1957.  (2p.)

53   Visit to Moscow.  Qantas Empire Airways, Sydney, November 1958.  (32p.)

54   The inaugural Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith Memorial Lecture.  10 December 1919.  ‘The Ross and Keith Smith flight to Australia’, delivered at the Adelaide Boys High School, West Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 28 April 1958.  The Royal Aeronautical Society, Adelaide Branch, 1958.  (27p.)

Folder 4

Item

55   Speeches and statements given overseas on the occasion of the first Boeing 707 delivery flight from Seattle to Sydney.  Sydney, 10 July 1959.  (8p.)

56   ‘Entrance of the jet age’.  Address to the Rotary Club of Sydney, 11 August 1959.  (12p.)

57   Founders’ Day speech at Geelong Grammar School, 24 June 1965.  (4p.)

58   Unveiling by Sir Hudson Fysh of the Qantas Memorial at Winton, Qld, 10 July 1965.  (4p.)

59   Speech by Sir Giles Guthrie, Chairman of BOAC at a dinner held in Dorchester Hotel Ballroom, London, on 26 April 1967, on the occasion of the retirement of Sir Hudson Fysh as Chairman of the Board of Qantas Empire Airways Limited.  (3p.)

60   Reply of Sir Hudson Fysh after Sir Giles Guthrie had proposed a toast to him and Lady Fysh at a dinner tendered at the Dorchester Hotel Ballroom, London, on 26 April 1967 to mark his retirement as chairman of Qantas Empire Airways.  (6p.)

61   Qantas Aeriana 1920-1954 by E.A. Crome, edited by N.C. Baldwin with foreword by A.G. Townley.  Sutton Coldfield, England, Field, 1955.  195p.

62   Front-line airline: the war story of Qantas Empire Airways Limited, by E. Bennett-Bremner.  Sydney, Angus and Robertson, 1944.  193p.


Last updated May 2002.