Genesis
The creation of Trans‑Australia Airlines (TAA) in 1946 was one of the most ambitious post‑war civil aviation projects undertaken by the Australian Government. The Australian National Airlines Commission (ANAC), chaired by businessman and former Melbourne Lord Mayor Arthur Coles, was tasked with building a national airline from the ground up — in just a matter of months.
TAA acquired its first two aircraft in mid‑June 1946. These were Douglas C‑47 military transports converted into DC‑3 airliners, part of a large pool of surplus aircraft originally purchased under the wartime Lend‑Lease agreement with the United States. Between 12 and 15 additional DC‑3s were scheduled to join the fleet shortly afterwards, forming the backbone of TAA’s early operations.
The DC‑3 was a proven, reliable aircraft that had served with distinction during the war. Its rugged construction, short‑field performance and ease of maintenance made it ideal for Australia’s varied geography. Many of the aircraft TAA received had flown with the RAAF or USAAF in the Pacific theatre before being refurbished for civilian service.
Below is a copy of the letter from Prime Minister John Curtin to General Douglas MacArthur, discussing the acquisition of these aircraft for post‑war civil aviation. The correspondence highlights the strategic importance placed on aviation as Australia transitioned from wartime operations to peacetime reconstruction.
In July 1946, the Treasury allocated £350,000 for TAA to order four larger Douglas DC‑4 Skymasters from the Douglas Aircraft Corporation. These four‑engined aircraft would allow TAA to operate longer‑distance services and compete directly with Australian National Airways (ANA), which already operated DC‑4s.
Lester Brain, TAA’s first General Manager and former Qantas senior executive, appointed John Watkins as Chief Technical Officer. Watkins quickly became one of the most influential figures in TAA’s early success. His first major assignment was to travel to the United States to oversee the acceptance, inspection and delivery of the new DC‑4 fleet.
TAA initially planned to begin regular services on 7 October 1946. However, a federal election scheduled for 28 September placed political pressure on ANAC to launch operations earlier. The government feared that if it lost the election, the incoming administration might cancel the entire project.
At the ANAC meeting on 1 September, Chairman Arthur Coles addressed the commissioners with a stark warning:
“The Government wants us to start services as soon as possible… If Labor loses the election there’ll be no airline. We’ll be out of a job. Any suggestions?”
The commissioners agreed that the airline was not ready. TAA had aircraft and pilots, but lacked almost everything else: ground facilities, sales staff, documentation, operational manuals, and even printed tickets. Despite this, the team believed that with extraordinary effort, the 7 October launch date might just be achievable.
Arthur Coles
As the meeting concluded, Arthur Coles delivered a bombshell announcement:
“I have news for you. We start next Monday.”
What followed was one of the most intense weeks in Australian aviation history. Staff were hired overnight. A tin shed at RAAF Laverton was borrowed as a temporary terminal because Melbourne Airport (Essendon) was waterlogged from heavy rain and undergoing runway works. Engineers built passenger steps and baggage carts from scratch because none were available for purchase at such short notice.
Manuals were written, blank manifests were typed, and tickets were printed by hand. Pilots and cabin crew trained around the clock. Every department — operations, engineering, catering, administration and sales — worked at a frantic pace to prepare for the launch.
At 5:45am on 9 September 1946, Captains Hepburn and Nickels departed Laverton in the DC‑3 Hawdon, bound for Sydney. At 8:35am, the aircraft touched down at Mascot Airport, completing TAA’s first official flight and marking the beginning of a new era in Australian civil aviation.
The inaugural service carried a full complement of VIPs — government officials, ANAC commissioners and invited guests — but only one paying passenger. Despite this modest beginning, the flight symbolised the birth of a national airline that would go on to transform Australian air travel.
Within months, TAA expanded rapidly, establishing a reputation for innovation, reliability and customer service. Its early achievements laid the foundation for decades of growth, competition and technological advancement in Australian aviation.
