Ansett
Ansett Airways was first registered in 1936, founded by Reginald Myles Ansett — a charismatic entrepreneur whose transport empire began not in the air, but on the road. With an initial investment of £1,000, he purchased his first commercial aircraft and launched what would become one of Australia’s most recognisable aviation brands.
Ansett Airways Ltd. was incorporated in Victoria in 1937. From its Melbourne base, the airline expanded rapidly, operating services to Sydney, Broken Hill and Adelaide. This early growth was driven by Ansett’s determination to bypass restrictive state transport laws that threatened his profitable road coach business.
When the Victorian Government legislated to protect its railways by restricting private road transport, Ansett responded by moving into aviation — a sector regulated federally, beyond state control. This bold move ensured the survival of his transport empire and marked the beginning of a major Australian airline.
Ansett’s first scheduled route was between Hamilton (Western Victoria) and Melbourne, flown by a single‑engine Fokker Universal monoplane. To circumvent regulations preventing him from carrying passengers, he famously sold each traveller an orange for £2 and claimed he was transporting freight — a loophole that forced authorities to eventually grant him a proper airline licence.
As demand grew, Ansett imported modern Lockheed 10B Electra aircraft, improving reliability and passenger comfort. By the late 1930s, Ansett Airways had become a respected regional carrier.
During World War II, Ansett suspended most scheduled services and worked under contract to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). The airline assisted in evacuations from Darwin and Broome and undertook aircraft maintenance and logistics support — work that strengthened its financial position during the war years.
After the war, Ansett rebuilt its domestic network using war‑surplus C‑47 aircraft converted into DC‑3s. In May 1946, Ansett Airways became Ansett Transport Industries (ATI), reflecting the company’s growing portfolio of road, freight and aviation businesses.
Airline Battles for Market Share
During the 1950s, Trans‑Australia Airlines (TAA) and Australian National Airways (ANA) battled for dominance of Australia’s domestic skies. TAA’s modern fleet, strong management and government backing placed ANA under increasing financial pressure. By 1957, ANA was close to collapse.
Ansett, still a smaller competitor, operated budget interstate services using DC‑3s and Convair CV‑440 Metropolitans. Although modest in scale, the airline was supported by a powerful transport empire: Ansett Freight Express, Ansett‑Pioneer Coaches and the Ansair coach‑building division.
The Menzies Government faced a dilemma. TAA was performing strongly, but if ANA collapsed, TAA would become a de facto monopoly — something the government wished to avoid. The solution was to encourage a private competitor strong enough to balance TAA.
The only viable option was for Ansett to purchase ANA. Although ANA’s directors initially resisted, they eventually accepted Ansett’s offer due to a lack of alternative buyers.
Ansett’s final offer of £3.3 million — including £3 million in government‑backed funding — was accepted. The Douglas Aircraft Company also supported the sale, concerned that ANA’s collapse would damage its reputation and future sales in Australia.
TAA, meanwhile, had already moved away from Douglas aircraft, investing in Vickers Viscount turboprops and Convair airliners, giving it a technological advantage.
The merged airline became Ansett‑ANA, a name retained until 1968. Under Reg Ansett’s leadership, the airline grew rapidly, though its passenger facilities were often described as basic compared with TAA’s more modern standards.
After acquiring ANA, Reg Ansett lobbied the government to prevent TAA from purchasing Sud‑Aviation Caravelle jet aircraft. He argued that his airline could not afford pure jets or the engineering upgrades required to support them.
TAA, however, had operated Vickers Viscount prop‑jets since 1954 and had significant turbine‑engine expertise. Ansett’s lobbying succeeded in delaying the introduction of pure jet aircraft into Australia by five years.
The Boeing 727‑100 finally entered service in 1964, marking the beginning of Australia’s domestic jet age — later than many comparable nations due to political pressure and the constraints of the Two Airline Policy.
