Ivan Holyman
Sir Ivan Nello Holyman (1896–1957) was a Tasmanian businessman and co‑founder of Holyman’s Airways, the company that would eventually evolve into Australian National Airways (ANA) — TAA’s principal private‑sector rival in the early years of the Two Airline era.
Born in Devonport, Tasmania, he was the eleventh of thirteen children in the Holyman family and was educated at Launceston Church Grammar School. The family business, William Holyman & Sons Pty Ltd, was a well‑established coastal shipping company, and it was from this maritime base that the Holymans moved into aviation.
Ivan’s elder brother, Victor Clive Holyman, worked as a ship’s officer in the family firm. In 1932, seeking to diversify and modernise their transport operations, the family purchased a three‑passenger de Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth. This small biplane marked the beginning of Holyman involvement in commercial aviation.
Victor, who had trained as a pilot in Britain and served with the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I, commenced flights from Launceston to Flinders Island. These services provided a vital link for island communities and demonstrated the potential of air transport in Bass Strait.
Services later expanded between Launceston and Melbourne using larger de Havilland DH.84 Dragons, DH.86 aircraft and, eventually, Douglas DC‑2s. These aircraft allowed Holyman’s to carry more passengers and mail, and to operate more reliably across the often‑treacherous Bass Strait.
Holyman's Airlines
Holyman Bros Pty Ltd was formally established to manage the family’s aviation interests, and an aircraft named Miss Currie was purchased to expand services. The company soon entered into a partnership with Tasman Aerial Services Pty Ltd, operated by L. Johnson, to fly passengers between Launceston and Melbourne.
In October 1934, the airline secured a Commonwealth Government contract and commenced a mainland mail service. This contract provided a stable revenue base and confirmed the strategic importance of air services across Bass Strait.
Johnson was later bought out by Holyman’s Airways Pty Ltd, which now operated with major shipping companies Huddart Parker Ltd and Union Steamship Co. Ltd as partners. This alliance of shipping and aviation interests reflected a broader trend in the 1930s, as transport companies sought to integrate sea, land and air services.
In 1937, Holyman’s formed Australian National Airways Ltd (ANA), adopting a name originally registered by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith for an earlier, short‑lived airline venture. ANA quickly became the dominant private airline on Australia’s main interstate routes.
New England Airways, a regional carrier based in northern New South Wales, later merged into a new group called Airlines of Australia. In 1942, Holyman interests absorbed Airlines of Australia into ANA, creating Australia’s first major interstate airline with a comprehensive network.
Throughout the late 1930s and into World War II, ANA operated the principal domestic trunk routes linking Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Tasmania. The airline flew modern aircraft such as the Douglas DC‑2 and DC‑3, and became the best‑known private airline in Australia.
In 1936, Hazel Holyman began training hostesses for ANA, introducing a new standard of in‑flight service. Marguerite Grueber and Blanche Due are widely recognised as Australia’s first air hostesses, marking the beginning of professional cabin crew in Australian commercial aviation.
