Guide to the Papers of Charles and John Ulm

MS 9923

National Library of Australia


Date completed: May 2007
Last updated: May 2007


Table of Contents

Collection Summary

Introduction

Scope and Content

Arrangement

Access

Copying and Publishing

Preferred Citation

Provenance

Related Material

Biographical Note

Series List and Descriptions

Series 1 Personal and family documents, c. 1920-1934, 1960, 1998

Series 2 World War I documents c. 1913-1919

Series 3 Percival Moodie, 1919-1934

Series 4 Australian National Airways (ANA), c. 1928-1934, 1962-1964, 1981, 1990

Series 5 Southern Cross, 1927-1929, 1936, 1980-1985

Series 6 Faith in Australia, c. 1933-1990

Series 7 Stella Australis, 1934, 1978-1987

Series 8 Commemorative and philatelic material, c. 1928-1998

Series 9 Papers of John Ulm, c. 1928-1994

Series 10 Ian Mackersey's Smithy: the life of Charles Kingsford-Smith, 1991-1999

Series 11 Newspaper cuttings, c. 1927-1996

Series 12 Miscellaneous papers, 1803, 1908, 1978-1990

Container List



Collection Summary

Creator: Ulm, Charles, 1897-1934 and Ulm, John, 1921-
Title: Papers of Charles and John Ulm
Date Range: 1803-2000
Collection Number: MS 9923
Extent: 1.71m (8 boxes + 1 folio box)
Repository: National Library of Australia

Introduction

Scope and Content

The papers comprise newspaper cuttings, stamps, commemorative envelopes, correspondence, brochures, research notes, articles, reviews, certificates, talks, handwritten notes, photocopies of government records, business papers, photographs, maps and ephemera.

The largest series in the collection is the commemorative and philatelic material, comprising stamps, commemorative envelopes, tribute albums and newspaper cuttings, articles and reviews and mostly relates to the 50th Anniversary of the First Trans-Pacific flight (1928).

Arrangement

The papers arrived in three cartons and one large box and were received in a semi-ordered state. Many of the papers were filed in manila folders and envelopes and formed logical sequences. Other papers were not in any discernable order and have been arranged by Library staff, with loose material interfiled as appropriate.

Where possible, many of the file titles have been retained. For titles that may not be obvious to researchers, Library staff have amended these to reflect the contents of the files. Many of the folders received have Ulm's initials CTP (Charles Thomas Phillippe) written on them and these too have been retained. Library staff have given names to files with no titles.

Access

Available for reference.

Provenance

The collection has dual provenance. It consists of papers collected by Charles Ulm, and also items collected about Ulm by his son, John, which have been kept together because of the interrelated nature of their creation. The papers were donated to the Library by John Ulm in June 2003 in conjunction with an exhibition held at the National Library of Australia to mark the 75th Anniversary of his father's 1928 Trans-Pacific flight.

Copying and Publishing

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Related Material

Also held in the Manuscript Collection is a separate grouping of Ulm papers (MS 215), which were donated to the Library in 1951. In addition, there are collections pertaining to individuals who flew with Ulm, such as the papers of Charles Kingsford Smith (MS 209), George 'Scotty' Allan (MS 4911) and P G Taylor (MS 2594). E A Crome's, 'Collection relating to Aviation in Australia, 1914-2005' (MS 1925) and the Papers of Austin Byrne (MS 3736) also contain relevant material.

In the Oral History Collection there are sound recordings made of Charles Kingsford Smith and Ulm on their trans-Pacific flight 1928 (ORAL TRC 39/2). There are also interviews with George 'Scotty' Allan, pioneer pilot with Australian National Airways, about Charles Ulm (ORAL TRC 575/7) and Nell Rogers, former secretary to Ulm and Kingsford Smith (ORAL TRC 575/6).

A biography cuttings file on Ulm is held at the Library which may be accessed via the Newspaper Reading Room.

The Library also holds a number of published works by or about Ulm including: Boulton, Bob. Aviators of the Charles Ulm and Kingsford Smith era, 1993.

Kingsford Smith, C E and Ulm, C T P. The Flight of the Southern Cross, 1929.

Pickering, John. The routes of the Valkyries : a brief joint biography of Air Commodore Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith, KBE, MC, AFC, and Flt Lt Charles Thomas Phillippe Ulm, 1977.

Rogers, Ellen. Faith in Australia : Charles Ulm and Australian Aviation, 1987.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Charles and John Ulm, National Library of Australia, MS 9923, [series and/or folder number]'.

Biographical Note

Charles Thomas Phillippe Ulm was born on 18 October 1898 at Middle Park, Melbourne, to Emile Gustave Ulm (a Parisian-born artist) and his wife Ada Emma, née Greenland. He was educated in Melbourne then in Sydney, where he worked as a clerk in a stockbroking office. On 16 September 1914, at the age of sixteen, Ulm enlisted in the 1st Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force, under the name of 'Charles Jackson', stating he was 20 years of age. Ulm was amongst the first troops to land at Gallipoli on 25 April 1925, but not long afterwards was wounded in action. He returned to Australia and was discharged from the AIF. In January 1917 he re-enlisted under his own name and served with the 45th Infantry Battalion on the Western Front. In July 1918 he was badly wounded and evacuated to Britain, before being demobilised in March 1919.

Ulm married Isabel Amy Winter on 20 November 1919. In 1921 his first and only child, John, was born. In 1927 Charles and Isabel were divorced and Ulm re-married on 29 June 1927 to Mary Josephine Callaghan.

In 1927 Ulm and Charles Kingsford Smith circumnavigated Australia in a Bristol Tourer in 10 days and five hours, more than halving the existing record. The pair then planned the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States of America to Australia. On 31 May 1928 with two American crewmen, they flew the Southern Cross from Oakland, California and reached Brisbane on 9 June after 83 hours and 19 minutes flying time. In September of that year, the pair made the first trans-Tasman flight, from Sydney to Christchurch, New Zealand, in 14 hours.

In December 1928 Ulm and Kingsford Smith formed Australian National Airways (ANA) to operate unsubsidised passenger, mail and freight services. In March 1929 the pair decided to fly to London to buy aircraft and were lost for 13 days after the Southern Cross was forced to land near the north-west coast of Australia. At the time, there were rumours that the two planned the disappearance for a publicity stunt. Whilst the pair did resume their flight to England on 25 June, Ulm continued to primarily devote himself to managing ANA. Due to the Depression, the company went into liquidation in February 1933. Ulm brought one of the remaining aeroplanes and called it Faith in Australia.

Flying the Faith in Australia, Ulm took part in a number of important expeditions. In 1933 he flew to England with Sir Gordon Taylor as part of an around the world trip. The trip was aborted and the pair returned to Australia creating a new world record of six days, 17 hours and 56 minutes. In April 1934 Ulm flew the first official mail from Australia to New Zealand, and in August he carried the first official airmail from Australia to New Guinea and back.

In September 1934 Ulm formed Great Pacific Airways Limited, in the hope of establishing an air service between Australia, Canada and the United States. He bought an Airspeed Envoy, Stella Australis, and on 3 December 1934, with a crew of two, Ulm flew from Oakland to Hawaii. Stella Australis failed to arrive. Despite an extensive sea search, no trace of the plane or the crew was ever found.

John Ulm

John Ulm was born in June 1921, the only child of Charles Ulm and his first wife, Isabel. He was only 13 years old when his father's plane, the Stella Australis, went down in the Pacific Ocean.

John's interest in aviation saw him have a long career at Qantas, including roles such as the Chief Press and Information Officer in the 1960s.

Throughout his life, John has been active in researching and commemorating his late father.

John lives in Sydney.

Reference(s):
Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 12, Australian National University. p.302-303. Also available online http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120337b.htm.



Series List and Descriptions

Series 1 Personal and family documents, c. 1920-1934, 1960, 1998

This series comprises personal and family documents of Ulm and his family including correspondence, photographs, photocopies of birth certificates, obituaries and family history information.

The series also contains ephemera in the form of menus from tributes given in honour of Ulm in 1928 and 1929. The 1928 also honours Kingsford Smith and both men have autographed the back of the menu.

Folder 1 'Charles Thomas Phillippe (CTP) Ulm his words': includes correspondence, articles, obituaries and a typescript copy of a book written by Ulm, 1920-1934, 1960
Folder 2 Photograph of Charles Ulm flying, c. 1920-1921
Folder 3 Copy of 'Motor Traffic Act', two menus and copies of Ulm's letterhead, 1922-1929
Folder 4 'Charles Thomas Phillippe (CTP) Ulm birth certificate, obits': includes a photograph and notebook of Ulm's wife, Mary Josephine, 1927-1934, 1998

Series 2 World War I documents c. 1913-1919

When World War I broke out in 1914, Ulm was keen to enlist. Although he was too young to enlist at the age of sixteen, he did so under the name of Charles Jackson. He saw service in the Dardanelles but was wounded in action and returned to Australia. In 1917 he re-enlisted under his own name but was badly wounded and returned home in 1919.

The series includes Ulm's original discharge certificates and service record book. The last two folders contain photocopies of documents, including correspondence between Ulm's family and the Department of Defence, medical records and other war service records.

Folder 1 Discharge certificates and record of service book, 1913-1917
Folder 1 Discharge certificates and record of service book, 1913-1917
Folder 2 Photocopy of Ulm's personal dossier for the AIF, 1914-1919
Folder 3 Photocopies of other service records, 1914-1917

Series 3 Percival Moodie, 1919-1934

Percival Moodie, a friend of Ulm, was a chemist from Bathurst, New South Wales who shared Ulm's interest in aviation. Moodie was at one time Chairman and Managing Director of the Western Aero Company Limited and a Director of Western and Southern Provincial (WASP) Airlines.

Both Moodie and Ulm appear to have flown together as early as 1919 (a photograph is included in this series) and flew from Melbourne to Bathurst in 1921 (a map tracing the flight is also filed here). This series primarily consists of business papers relating to the Western Aero Company Limited and WASP, such as memoranda, agenda of meetings, and applications for shares, prospectuses and reports.

Folder 1 Western Aero Company Limited, 1919-1934

Series 4 Australian National Airways (ANA), c. 1928-1934, 1962-1964,1981, 1990

Charles Ulm and Charles Kingsford Smith formed the Australian National Airways (ANA) in 1928. The airline was established to operate passenger, mail and freight services. The company went into liquidation in February 1933.

This series includes contracts, newspaper cuttings, correspondence, photographs, various company prospectuses brochures, a map, memoranda, as well as later articles and research relating to ANA.

Folder 1 includes a 1931 memorandum between Ulm and Kingsford Smith as well as other papers relating to the company. Folder 6 relates to Macarthur Job's research for a proposed book, 'Into Oblivion', which was to include information on the history of ANA.

This series includes material relating to Series 5, the Southern Cross.

Folder 1 'Flt Lt Charles CTP Ulm, Joint Founder and Joint Managing Director Australian National Airways', 1928-1931
Folder 2 'ANA including original company prospectus', 1928-1931, 1962-1964, 1981
Folder 3 ANA brochures
Folder 4 Proposals to Government, 1932-1934
Folder 5 Draft foreword and correspondence between John Ulm and Macarthur Job relating to Job's research for a proposed book 'Into Oblivion', 1990

Series 5 Southern Cross, 1927-1929, 1936, 1980-1985

In 1928 Charles Ulm accompanied Charles Kingsford Smith and two American crewmen aboard the Southern Cross to fly for the first time across the Pacific Ocean. The historic trans-Pacific flight flew from Oakland in California on 31 May 1928 and arrived in Brisbane on 9 June.

Ulm and Kingsford Smith flew the Southern Cross on a number of other historic journeys including the first trans-Tasman flight in 1928, flying from Sydney to Christchurch, New Zealand. In 1929 the pair flew to England and were lost for 13 days after the Southern Cross had to land in the north-west coast of Australia. A massive search was undertaken and the pair were found.

The series contains contracts, newspaper cuttings and articles, correspondence, photographs, a map and certificate. Folder 3 is an article written by Ralph Heintz who built the Southern Cross radio sets.

Series 4, Australian National Airways, also contains information relating to the Southern Cross.

Folder 1 Contract with Sun Newspapers, 1927
Folder 2 Newspaper cuttings and articles, 1928
Folder 3 How the Americans described the Southern Cross flight by Ralph M Heintz, 1928
Folder 4 Photocopies of messages exchanged on the flight, 1928
Folder 5 Photocopies of cablegram from Ulm about the flight, 1928
Folder 6 Map of New Caledonia used on the flight
Folder 7 Certificate received by Ulm from the Motor Cycle Club of NSW
Folder 8 Cancellation of Sydney Sun and Melbourne Herald contract, 1929
Folder 9 Other papers relating to the Southern Cross, including two photographs (undated), correspondence and two articles, 1936, 1980-1985

Series 6 Faith in Australia, c. 1933-1990

After Australian National Airways went into liquidation, Ulm brought one of the remaining planes and called it Faith in Australia. Ulm flew the Faith in Australia with Sir Gordon Taylor to England in 1933, returning to Australia in record-breaking time. In 1934 he flew the first official airmail flight to New Zealand and to Papua New Guinea.

This small series includes newspaper cuttings, articles, correspondence, a photograph of the aircraft, a book of tickets for the ANZAC memorial appeal passenger flight on the Faith in Australia, and an envelope commemorating the first official airmail from Australia to Papua New Guinea. Also filed here are articles written in the 1970s and 1980s commemorating Ulm and the Faith in Australia.

VH-UXX refers to the type of aircraft.

Folder 1-2 'Faith in Australia - VH-UXX', c. 1933-1990

Series 7 Stella Australis, 1934, 1978-1987

On 3 December 1934 Ulm, together with two crew, flew from Oakland in California to Hawaii aboard the Stella Australis. The plane never reached its destination and, after an extensive search, the wreckage was never found.

The series consists of one folder and contains newspaper cuttings, articles and correspondence. Some of the letters include 1987 correspondence of John Ulm regarding his research on the Stella Australis.

Folder 1 Stella Australis - VH-UXY', 1934, 1978-1987

Series 8 Commemorative and philatelic material, c. 1928-1998

Ever since Ulm's historic flights, there have been many events and commemorative material issued to remember his expeditions and life, including commemorative envelopes, stamps, memorials and films.

This series includes invitations, souvenir brochures, correspondence, newspaper articles, research notes and press releases, but most of the material consists of stamps and commemorative envelopes. Some of the envelopes are from inaugural flights - for example, the first all-Australian Air mail Service from Australia to England (1931), and the first flight made by a member of the royal family in Australia (1934) - and have been signed by Ulm and his crew. Many of the envelopes are addressed to Ulm himself. Most of the papers in this series relate to the 50th Anniversary of Ulm and Kingsford Smith's Trans-Pacific flight.

Folder 1-2 Commemorative envelopes and stamps, c. 1928-1993
Folder 3 Picture of Ulm and Kingsford Smith by William Dargie comemorating the unveiling of the painting at the Art Gallery of NSW by Prime Minister R G Menzies, 1958
Folder 4 Tribute album for memorial commemorating the first flight over the Pacific Ocean by Kingsford Smith and his companions (unveiled by R W Askin, Premier of NSW, erected by Bexley RSL), 1969
Folder 5 Letter to John Ulm from Reg Grundy Productions on proposed series on Kingsford Smith and Ulm, 1977
Folder 6 John Ulm correspondence with Michael Terry and Australia Post regarding research and articles commemorating Ulm, 1975-1977
Folder 7 Opening of Southern Cross Memorial Gardens: correspondence and, 1976
Folder 8 50th anniversary of first Trans-Pacific flight: newspaper cuttings and brochures, 1978
Folder 9 50th anniversary of first Trans-Pacific flight: commemorative envelopes and stamps, 1978
Folder 10 50th anniversary of first Trans-Pacific flight: articles and press releases, 1978
Folder 11 50th anniversary of first Trans-Pacific flight: draft article for Aircraft and research papers, 1978
Folder 12 Proposed film, 'Smithy', 1983
Folder 13 Charles Ulm Memorial Dinner brochures, 1984
Folder 14 100th anniversary of Charles Ulm's birthday, 1998
Folder 15-16 'Ulm movie, stamps and press clips', c. 1953, 1978-1984

Series 9 Papers of John Ulm, c. 1928-1994

This series consists of other papers maintained by John Ulm pertaining to his father It includes cards, invitations, articles, notes on talks, research papers, correspondence, and a photograph.

Folders 4-5 include correspondence and other papers on the Charles Ulm Collection of Aviation Records located at the Mitchell Library in Sydney. These papers were arranged, listed and donated by John Ulm and Ellen Rogers, former private secretary to Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm. Folder 6 consists of papers of Ellen Rogers and includes correspondence between herself and the Mitchell Library.

Folder 7 includes an early photograph of Ulm.

Folder 1 'John Ulm's Memories of Charles Thomas Phillippe Ulm (CTP): includes autographed cards from the crew of the Southern Cross, an invitation to his father, typed notes by John Ulm on the Southern Cross and personal notes on his father, 1928-1929, 1994
Folder 2 Material on naming airports in honour of Charles Ulm, 1959-1990
Folder 3 Correspondence with organisations relating to Charles Ulm, 1964-1967
Folder 4-5 'Charles Thomas Phillippe Ulm (CTP) Collection Contents': includes correspondence and lists relating to the Charles Ulm Collection of Aviation Records at the Mitchell Library, Sydney, 1977-1978, 1990
Folder 6 Ellen Rogers, 1936, 1977-1985
Folder 7 Correspondence and research papers from Jim Donahue, 1987
Folder 8 John Ulm correspondence, 1985-1987: includes a photograph of Charles Ulm
Folder 9 John Ulm's handwritten notes for an Australian Historical Society lecture, 1988
Folder 10 Photocopies of extracts from the 'Flying Doctor Service Histories' by John Behr

Series 10 Ian Mackersey's Smithy: the life of Charles Kingsford-Smith, 1991-1999

This series contains correspondence, newspaper cuttings, reviews and research notes kept by John Ulm in response to Ian Mackersey's research for a biography of Kingsford Smith. The papers are a comprehensive source for research on Kingsford Smith and Ulm.

John Ulm responded to Mackersey's research requests by telephone, letters and by notes written on the original letters.

Mackersey's biography, Smithy: the life of Charles Kingsford Smith, was published by Little, Brown and Co, London, in 1998

Folder 1 Mackersey: correspondence, cuttings and research notes, 1991
Folder 2 Mackersey: correspondence, cuttings and research notes, 1992
Folder 3-4 Mackersey: correspondence, cuttings and research notes, 1992-1993
Folder 5 Mackersey: correspondence, cuttings and research notes, 1994-1995
Folder 6 Mackersey: correspondence, cuttings and research notes, 1995
Folder 7 Mackersey: correspondence, cuttings and research notes, 1996-1997
Folder 8 Mackersey: correspondence, cuttings and research notes, 1998-1999

Series 11 Newspaper cuttings, c. 1927-1996

This series contains newspaper cuttings and articles relating to Ulm. The cuttings cover Ulm's flight with Kingsford Smith on the first Trans-Pacific flight, Ulm's disappearance, anniversaries of flights, biographical information, obituaries, tributes, memorials and articles on people who worked or knew Ulm. While there are original cuttings and articles, there are also photocopies of cuttings, particularly from earlier publications.

Any unfiled newspaper cuttings were placed in preservation folders by Library staff.

Folder 1 Newspaper cuttings, 1927
Folder 2 Newspaper cuttings, 1951-1984
Folder 3 'Charles Thomas Phillippe (CTP) Ulm': press references, 1932-1996

Series 12 Miscellaneous papers, 1803, 1908, 1978-1990

This series includes issues of early newspapers, photocopies of photographs, articles, souvenir booklets and other ephemera.

Folder 1 Issues of the Sydney Gazette and The Australian Star, 1803, 1908
Folder 2 Souvenir program of the Australian Flying Corps Association Memorial Air Meeting and Aviation Display, 1930; 'The first aeroplane voyage from England to Australia' booklet, by Sir Ross Smith; Atlantic Union Oil Company advertisement, 1958; Flyer for ABC radio's 'A social history of Australian aviation', 1990
Folder 3 Photocopies of articles from Aeroplane monthly, September- November, 1978; copy of Aircraft, 1985
Folder 4 Photocopies of photographs of Ulm and Kingsford Smith


Container List

Series Folder/Item Box
1 1 1
1 2 Folio Box
1 3-4 1
2 1-3 1
3 1 1
3 2 Map Drawer
4 1-3 2
4 4 Folio Box
4 5 2
5 1-3 2
5 4 Folio Box
5 5 2
5 6 Map Draw
5 7 Folio Box
5 8-9 3
6 1-2 3
7 1 3
8 1-3 3
8 4 Folio Box
8 5-13 4
8 14-16 5
9 1-4 5
9 5-10 6
10 1-3 6
10 4-8 7
11 1-3 7
11 4 Folio Box
12 1 7
12 2-4 8