The air services in Papuan New Guinea, like Australia, were initially concentrated to areas where communication and even access were difficult. The first air services were from the coast to the New Guinea Goldfields for the carriage of heavy machinery.

Mails were carried irregularly by air between Port Moresby and New Guinea from October 1928. However, it was not until March 26 1932 that a regular service was organised by Guinea Airways to carry mails from the three-weekly steamers arriving at Port Moresby to Salamaua.

From September 30 1932, a formal contract was entered into by Guinea Airways with the Papua Government for the transport of mail from Port Moresby to Salamua. The airmail surcharge was 3d per half?ounce and was restricted to mail originating in Papua and bearing Papuan stamps. The company received 1/6 per lb. Other aircraft carried mails on an opportunity basis and were paid at the same rate as Guinea Airways.

In February 1933, the aerial service operating between Port Moresby (Papua), Salamaua and the New Guinea Goldfields was made available for the carriage of mails posted in Australia. Use of this service accelerated delivery by seven to fourteen days according to the destination. All classes of mail, except parcels, were carried with an airmail fee of 2d per ounce in addition to normal postage. The first mails under the new arrangement left Sydney on the "Macdhui" leaving Sydney on February 2, Brisbane February 4 and Townsville February 7 1933. The "Macdhui" reached Port Moresby on February 9 and the mails reached Salamua the following day (10th).

The first official airmails between Australia and Papua?New Guinea departed Point Cook, Victoria on July 24 1934. Points of call on the north?bound journey were Sydney, Brisbane (24th), Rockhampton, Townsville, Cairns (25th), Port Moresby (26th) and arriving Lae on July 27th. The return flight departed Lae on July 30 1934 and reached Melbourne on August 1st. Some 30,000 covers were carried each way.

A "Melbourne Cup" special flight carried mail from Port Moresby on October 28, stopping Townsville, Brisbane and Sydney arriving in Melbourne on October 30. 1936.

On May 30, 1938, an airmail service connecting Australia with the Territories of Papua?New Guinea was inaugurated. Operating weekly, the service was from Sydney to Rabaul calling at Brisbane, Rockhampton, Townsville, Cairns, Cooktown, Port Moresby and Salamaua en route. The same stopping places were made on the return flights.

All classes of mail excepting parcels were accepted and the surcharge was the same as for internal routes (3d per ½oz additional to normal postage) applied. This service reduced the transit time for mail between Melbourne and Rabaul from 12 days or more to only 4 days.

In February 1942, the Sydney?Rabaul (New Guinea) civil air service was terminated. For the duration of the hostilities, Service aircraft carried the civilian airmail.

Excerpt from "Official Airmails of Australia available in both cd rom and book form from our shop.