Butler Air Transport

Butler Air Transport was an Australian airline founded by C. Arthur Butler to operate air transport primarily among New South Wales airports in Australia, from 1934 until 1959.^[1][2]

Butler Air Transport

Commenced operations	1934; 90 years ago (1934)
Ceased operations	1959; 65 years ago (1959)

History

Arthur Butler, OBE (1902–1980)^[1] was an English-Australian aviator whose first aviation experience was as a toolmaker and later ground engineer in Sydney then Hay. Butler was engineer to pilot Francis Stewart Briggs who taught Butler to fly at Hay.^[3] After getting a pilot's license, he became a barnstormer before, in 1934, winning the contract for the Charleville to Cootamundra leg of the England-Australia airmail route. The Butler Air Transport Co lost the contract on the contract's expiry in 1938, but went on to operate as a civil airline, serving country towns in New South Wales and Queensland.

During World War II Butler Air Transport continued operating on a limited scale and also manufactured parts for the Australian war effort on a cost-recovery basis.^[1] At the end of the war, Butler registered Butler Air Transport Pty Ltd as a public company. It became the most successful airline in New South Wales, operating three Douglas DC-3s, Avro Ansons, De Havilland Herons and three Airspeed Ambassadors.^[1]

Butler Air Transport Vickers Viscount at Blackbushe Airport in 1956 shortly before delivery to Australia

Butler encouraged employee ownership of the company, and in 1947, they owned 51 per cent.^[1][4]

In the late 1940s, the Chifley Labor Government sought to nationalise the airlines. In the early 1950s the coalition government abandoned nationalisation and instead adopted the Two Airlines Policy favouring Ansett Airways and Trans-Australia Airlines. Arthur Butler fought against the trend, including an intended buy-out in the early 1950s by Australian National Airways. In 1955 Butler acquired two Vickers Viscounts. Ansett Transport Industries acquired Australian National Airways in 1957, thus acquiring appreciable stock in Butler Air Transport, then acquired more from staff stockholders until it controlled Butler. Despite a legal and boardroom battle to retain or regain control, Arthur Butler lost. In late 1958, Butler was offered the position of Managing Director but instead left the company,^[1] which was effectively absorbed into Ansett as Airlines of New South Wales in 1959,^[5][6] then into Ansett Express.^[2][4]

Arthur Butler was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1958, for services to aviation.

Destinations

Butler Air Transport operated to the following airports:

Butler Air Transport – Destinations

From	To	Commenced	Times	Aircraft	Fares (1 way)	Reference
Sydney	Bathurst	16 December 1946	1100	Douglas 21 seat	£1/10/0	[7]
Sydney	Bega					[8]
Sydney	Bourke					[8]
Sydney	Brewarrina					[8]
Sydney	Casino					[8]
Sydney	Charleville					[8]
Sydney	Coffs Harbour					[8]
Sydney	Coonamble					[8]
Sydney	Cunnamulla					[8]
Sydney	Dubbo					[8]
Sydney	Evans Head (Lismore)					[8]
Sydney	Grafton					[8]
Sydney	Nyngan					[8]
Sydney	Parkes					[8]
Sydney	Tooraweenah (Gilgandra & Coonabarabran) Local knowledge said that Tooraweenah was the home town of Butler's wife. He made it the hub for the surrounding airports, in a "Hub and Spoke" operation. Early on, a Dragon Rapide and two de Havilland Heron Mk Is (VH-AHB and VH-ARB) took passengers from, e.g. Coonamble to Tooraweenah, where they transferred to a DC-3 for the rest of the journey to Sydney. The Herons also operated other routes, e.g. Sydney – Forster.					[8]
Sydney	Walgett		Sydney to Wilcannia.			[8]

See also

• List of defunct airlines of Australia
• Aviation in Australia

References

1. Butler, Cecil Arthur (1902–1980), Australian Dictionary of Biography, accessed 4 July 2011
2. Butler Air Transport Co (1934–1959), Guide to Australian Business Records, accessed 4 July 2011
3. Butler, Cecil Arthur, "Journey log books, Arthur Butler, 1926–28, 1931–32", Powerhouse Museum. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
4. Butler Air Transport to Airlines of NSW to Ansett Express – Flight Crew List Archived 6 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine, aussieairliners.org, accessed 4 July 2011
5. The Story of the Rise and Fall of Ansett 1936-2002. Fyshwick: Stewart Wilson Aerospace Publications. 2002. ISBN 1875671579.
6. Ansett – A Brief History Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, spiritsofansett.com, accessed 4 July 2011
7. "Air Service for Bathurst soon". Sydney Morning Herald. Trove Australia. 3 September 1946. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
8. "Advertisement". Sydney Morning Herald. Trove Australia. 10 April 1948.

External links

• Butler Air Transport Co – images held by the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
  • Arthur Butler Archive – includes files and pilot logbooks
• Australian Airline Tickets – Airlines of N.S.W. Archived 31 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine – images of Butler baggage tags, circa 1954–55
• Australian Civil Aircraft VH-AMA – AZY Series – Ed Coates Collection:
  • see 5 entries, including VH-AOG DC-3 (crashed and written off at Bourke, New South Wales on 15 December 1955)