Uncovering the history of Australian aviation

A new course presented by well-known author Bill Bunbury for the Margaret River U3A will cover not only how aeroplanes fly, but those who flew them, their passengers and crew, and how aviation affected immigration and communication across Australia.

In ‘Rag Sticks and Wire’, Bunbury tells how Australians took to the air with energy, humour, courage and pride.

It’s the story of how small airlines started to serve the outback in the 1920’s, spread their wings and flew across, and then far beyond, Australia.

Bill focuses initially on World War One, with wartime pilots like Norman Brearley, Hudson Fysh and Charles Kingsford Smith returning from the Western Front imbued with the vision that aircraft could serve a peacetime role, bridging distance and improving connection between city and country, town and outback.

In WA, Norman Brearley had to overcome not just fear of flying, but also misunderstanding about what aeroplanes could do.

When he started, barnstorming and later planning outback flights, hardly anybody in Western Australia knew how to build an airstrip or help a plane land safely.

In Queensland, Qantas founder Hudson Fysh joined with the Australian Inland Mission to ensure pregnant mothers reached hospital quickly and safely.

Technology also grew rapidly. Within the first half of the twentieth century, aircraft doubled in size, power and speed.

Aviation created new jobs, many now available to women, as air hostesses, who often had a wicked sense of humour.

Course participants will hear individual stories from the founders of Australian aviation along with their flight crews and passengers.

In the final of this three part series you’ll be even more aware of the relevance of aviation in Australia when you hear accounts of the Pilots Dispute in 1993 which in many ways brought our country to a standstill.

A few other short courses of interest that start in October and November that are still open are ‘Singalong to the 60’s’, ‘More Bootscooting’ and ‘Creating an English Garden’.

You can enrol online at u3amr.org.au/members