On 7 October 1935 Holymans Airways Pty Ltd opened a scheduled service between Melbourne and Sydney, via Canberra. This 'real photo' postcard of Bourke St, Melbourne, (below) was flown on the first return flight aboard DH86 VH-UUB Loila, piloted by C H Scott and P L Taylor.

The reverse (above) is postmarked Sydney Air Mail 7-A-7OCT (7 am, 7 October) and stamped on arrival at Thornbury (Melbourne) the same day. The stamps are a 3d Centenary of Victoria 1934 and a 1 1/2d Parliament House Canberra.

Holymans Airways later became Australian National Airways (ANA), and later still merged with Ansett Airways to form Ansett-ANA.

(Phil Vabre collection)

Read Leo Deleuil's recollections of the early days of Aeradio in Canberra serving this route.