This is a rather rare article originally published in an Australian journal “Sea, Land and Air” in 1918. It is a fascinating look at an attempt to establish airmail services from England to Australia. It would be another sixteen years (1934) before a service was established.

Mr. Reginald Lloyd, whose portrait appears on this page, is an opportunist. Returning to Sydney a few weeks ago from England, he has already done much to arouse public interest in the important subject of aerial mail services. He is confident that the Old World is separated from the New by not more than a week’s journey through space. Further, he has undertaken to prove it.

That Mr. Lloyd’s opinion is favoured by many of our most astute business men is evident by the alacrity with which these latter have supported the new enterprise.

At a private meeting convened recently (at 24 hour’s notice) by H. M. Mackenzie, F.I.I.A., at his offices at Australasian Chambers, Sydney, and attended by a representative group of men prominent in the world of commerce and finance, Mr. Lloyd outlined his project in the following terms:-

“We are here to-day, gentlemen, to do something concrete. We are here to decide definitely whether or not, Australia is to be brought within 150 flying hours of London; and if we decide that that is to be done, I am here to consummate and to put into immediate effect that decision, aerial science having rendered possible such an achievement.

Mr Reginald Lloyd, who has undertaken to bring Australia within 150 hours’ flight from England.

“Before you are asked to decide anything, however, I will briefly outline the modus operandi to be pursued in establishing a long-distance aerial mail service.

“As things are to-day it is not possible to cross with safety from London to Australia by air. Not because the machines cannot perform the work they can but because it is not known definitely where landing places are, although it is known that suitable landing places exist; nor does anyone definitely know which is the most suitable route to fly.

“It is obvious, therefore, that the initial thing to do in establishing any air service is to survey the route, and to locate the landing places.

“No one machine could fly with safety from London to Australia. That task can be accomplished only in relays; and, when it is a matter of maintaining a mail service, the pilots also will have to be worked in relays.

“While I have already suggested that each landing station and each relay station should be distant 300 miles, it does not follow that each machine and each pilot is going to travel only that distance.

“The fuel-carrying capacity of a machine may he taken, perhaps, as the determining factor in establishing the distance between landing stations.

“Experts only, however, can decide this point with accuracy.

“The only business-like method, in my opinion, to adopt in selecting a route is to attempt no such task until after consultation with Geographical Authorities at the University, a Meteorological Authority from the Observatory, and in conference with experts who know and who have traversed the country.

“In deciding the question of route the following points must be borne in mind: The shortest route compatible with suitable geographical and meteorological conditions should be selected, having in mind also road accessibility for the convenient transport of petrol, spare parts and general equipment accessories, and with adequate water supply near each locality likely to be selected for a relay or for a landing station.

“The route first to be dealt with should be, I think, to the farthest point in Australia from Sydney, and which point would be the nearest point to the Malay Archipelago.

“The route having been decided upon, the next step would be to traverse it.

“My suggestion, therefore, is to engage the services four men, a motorcycle expert, a flying expert, a surveyor and a propagandist respectively, each skilled in motor-cycle riding, and equip each for the trip across the Australian continent from Sydney to Cape York Peninsula, if that point be the point decided upon, having arranged previously for a supply of petrol to be available in those parts of the country where in the ordinary way petrol would not be procurable.

“These men, accompanied by myself, would survey and lay out the entire route, their respective duties being: motor expert to keep machines in order, flying expert to select the relay and landing places, the surveyor to measure off under instructions from the flying expert, and to procure in each case the option of a lease or the option of purchase, or both, while the propagandist would study the situation and equip himself for work later.

“Photographs must be taken of each relay and each landing station, and also of any essential features, or points, in route, such as mountains, waterways, and heavily timbered country. The distance between each landing station must be recorded, using the speedometer of the motor cycle to gauge the distance, and its latitude and longitude noted. Similarly, any obstacles opposed to easy flying must be recorded, as must also their latitude and longitude.

“On finishing the Australian survey, the route party would proceed to Siam or Burmah, via new Guinea, Celebes, Borneo and Penang; either by pearling lugger or a small motor-propelled boat: taking their motor cycles with them.

“They would survey and lay out the routes as they passed across the Malay Archipelago, and would decide upon landing and relay stations until they reached the continent of Asia; where similar operations would be repeated throughout India, Arabia and Egypt.

“On arrival at Port Said (Egypt), the mapping out of the route would be temporarily finished, because the territory between Port Said and London need not be surveyed until a date much later. Only recently the following cables appeared in the Press :-

TWO BRITONS FLY 2.000 MILES. FROM ENGLAND TO EGYPT IN BATTLEPLANE.
London, Saturday–Two Royal Air Force Officers, with two mechanics, have completes a flight from England to Egypt, a distance of 2,000 miles, in a type of aeroplane that has seen considerable service on the Front.

“The official report, in announcing this feat, says:-

One or two halts were made for petrol, but the flight was merely a bit of routine work.

“The exploration staff, however, must not be disbanded on arrival at Port Said.

“Arrangements would be made to carry by air a letter from His Majesty the King in London to his Deputy the Governor-General of Australia in Sydney thus demonstrating the practicability of the undertaking.

“As no country now is without its air service, and as at this stage we have no aeroplanes, arrangements would have to be made with each of the nations over whose territory these letters would have to be carried for relays of airmen to pick the letters up at a point to be nominated. For instance, at the commencement of the journey, a British airman would make the flight to Paris. From Paris a French aviator would carry on to Italy, whence the flight would be continued in relays by the flyers in other countries, including India, until the letters arrive in the North of Australia, where they would be taken charge of by an Australian airman, and in relays brought on for delivery to their Sydney addresses.

“In conclusion, permit me, gentlemen, to point out–and I cannot emphasise too strongly the point–that to fly from London to Sydney is a simple matter, provided always that landing stations and relay stations are accessible, while to maintain a regular mail service, either weekly or daily, over the same area is by no means a difficult task. The flight of 2,000 miles, from England to Egypt, referred to earlier, ia a practical demonstration of my contentions.”

* * * *

At the conclusion of this address practically the whole of the money to finance the expedition was subscribed in the room, a large proportion being contributed personally by Mr. Lloyd.

In his office in Culwulla Chambers, Sydney, Mr. Lloyd informed Sea, Land and Air that the expedition will leave Sydney on November 14, and that the preliminary survey will probably occupy six months. Arrangements have been concluded whereby our readers will be kept informed from month to month as to progress of the expedition.

Mr. Lloyd expresses the fullest confldence in the success of his project, which, in his opinion, is entirely a matter for private enterprise. The Government, he points out, does not own the mail steamers, seldom the mail trains and never the coaches which carry its mails. For this reason he anticipates no Governmental obstacle which would prevent a similar service being performed by aircraft.

Mr. Lloyd informs us that it is the intention of Mr. Webster, P.M.G., to submit these plans in detail to the Federal Crown Solicitor and later, if necessary, to the Secretary of the International Postal Union.

The new company contemplates the establishment of headquarters in Sydney and in London, with probably a third branch at Port Said. It will be registered, we are informed, under the title “Aerial Services, Limited,” with a capital of £500,000, shares to be held partly in England and partly in Australia. From other sources we understand that Mr. Reginald Lloyd George will be invited to act as Managing Director.

The initiator in furnishing certain details, which under the existing War Precautions Act we are not at liberty to publish, stated that some forty relay stations will be erected along the proposed routes. Each of these will carry large stocks of spare aeroplane-parts, petrol and other requirements for effecting minor repairs. In addition there will, at stated intervals, be Central Repairing Depots.

Mr. Reginald Lloyd is the youngest son of the late Hon. G. A. Lloyd, M.L.C., who for many years was a member of the New South Wales Upper House. He estimates that, to successfully conduct the proposed services, not less than one hundred aeroplanes will be required. These are to be purchased entirely at the new syndicate’s discretion, and Mr. Lloyd would strongly urge that aerial mails from Australia be carried by planes of our own construction.

In view of the statements made by Major-General Legge, Chief of the Commonwealth General Staff, and printed in another portion of this journal, there would be no cogent reason why Australian aerial mail services should not be Australian in every sense of the word.

Mr. Lloyd is confident that this project will be in operation within four months of completing the preliminary survey. In other words that before the end of 1919 direct aerial postal services will be operating at weekly intervals between Australia and England.

For more information on Lloyd see Northern Territory Times and Gazette (14 June 1919)