Butler Air Transport
Butler Air Transport was a limited liability company create by C. Arthur Butler to operate air transport primarily among New South Wales airports in Australia, from 1934 until 1959.[1][2]
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, New South Wales. After getting a pilot's license, he became a barnstormer before in 1934 winning the contract for the Charleville, Queensland to Cootamundra, New South Wales leg of the England-Australia airmail route. The Butler Air Transport Co lost the contract on its expiry in 1938, but went on to operate as a civil airline, serving country towns in New South Wales and Queensland.
During World War 2, Butler 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, that became the most successful airline in New South Wales, operating three Douglas DC-3s, Avro Avro Ansons, De Havilland 114 Herons and three Airspeed Airspeed Ambassadors.[1]
Butler encouraged employee ownership of the company, and in 1947 they owned 51 per cent.[1][3]
In the 1950s the Government of Australia sought to nationalise the airlines, and adopted a "two airline policy" favouring Ansett Airlines and Qantas Airways. Arthur Butler fought against the trend, including an intended buy-out in the early 1950s by Australian National Airways Pty Ltd. In 1955 Butler acquired two Vickers Viscounts. Reginald Ansett's Ansett Transport Industries Ltd acquired A.N.A. in 1957, thus acquiring appreciable stock in B.A.T., then acquired more from staff stockholders until he controlled the Butler airline. 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[4], then into Ansett Express.[2][3]
Ironically, Arthur Butler was made an Officer
References
- ^ a b c d e f Butler, Cecil Arthur (1902 - 1980), Australian Dictionary of Biography, accessed 4 July 2011
- ^ a b Butler Air Transport Co (1934 - 1959), Guide to Australian Business Records, accessed 4 July 2011
- ^ a b Butler Air Transport to Airlines of N.S.W. to Ansett Express - Flight Crew List, aussieairliners.org, accessed 4 July 2011
- ^ Ansett - A Brief History, spiritsofansett.com, accessed 4 July 2011
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. - 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)