Departmental files still extant show no written record of any consideration of sending mail by air prior to 7th April, 1914, when Mr. Arthur Rickard of Sydney made his approach concerning the Guillaux flight although no doubt Australian postal officials of the tine had noted the pioneer air nail flights in Europe and elsewhere.

Guillaux completed his historic flight successfully, other pioneers were flying in Australia, and in Europe the outbreak of war brought increasing use of aircraft in various roles. The development of the aeroplane did not pass unnoticed in Australia.

On 20th November, 1915, Clarke, Padley and Co., a Melbourne importing firm, wrote to the Postmaster General:

‘We have just received from America particulars of the latest types of Aeroplanes and Hydroplanes ... the present war has undoubtedly given a greater incentive to excell in aviation than anything else…"

The letter went on to list various types, including the Curtiss JN and R military machines, the Curtiss flying boat, a Grinnell scout, various Thomas machines, a Burgess flying boat, and Wright, Maximilian Smith, Huntingdon and Glen Martin aircraft. For all of these, the firm was prepared to quote prices. It went on to point out "perhaps there Is no country in the world where these machines can be put to such useful effect as in Australia with its immense land and water surface. Postal, with carriage of mails, repairing of telegraph lines, etc. ... a journey from Melbourne to Darwin instead of taking two or three weeks will be done in a day ... " This last concept was somewhat over-optimistic for 1915 aircraft, but nevertheless the writer’s views were a fairly accurate forecast of developments which would inevitably come.

The letter is noted "Acknowledged" but Departmental views are not recorded.

Almost a year later, the Melbourne "Age" of 1st November, 1916, carried the following item:

"The municipal council at Lismore (NSW) evidently believes in moving with the times. On the motion of the mayor (Alderman McKenzie) the council decided to ask the Postmaster General to take into consideration the establishment of an aerial mail service in the country districts of the Commonwealth."

The Postmaster General of the time, Mr. N. Webster, noted the item "... I would like inquiry to be made as to the feasibility of working an aerial service in conjunction with Defence Department, also re the financial aspect of same. 2.11.16 N.J." The Secretary of the Postmaster General ’s Department, Mr. I. Oxenham, passed the enquiry on to the Department of Defence on 6th November.

On 21st November, 1916, the Defence Department replied that "it is not considered practicable for this Department to establish an aerial service in conjunction with the Postal Department at the present time, all our energies in connection with aviation being required for war purposes. It is suggested that your Department might call for tenders from civilian aviators

The Lismore people were not alone in suggesting air mail. From the Mail Room, Post Office, Launceston (Tas.) postal employee Mr. H. E. Thureau wrote on 27th November, 1916 to the Postmaster General:

"Re coal strike; In view of continued trouble and delay to mail matter may I suggest the use of C.W. (Curtiss Wright? Ed.) aeroplanes for delivery of letters only between Melbne and L’ton, at extra charge of say 2d. per letter.."

As a practical mail room employee, he went or. to suggest how the letters should be presorted, labelled and bagged, and pointed out that York Park near the Launceston railway station would be a good landing field, beings over 1,500 yards long and clear of trees. The Minister noted the letter: "Practicability of aeroplane service might be looked into in conjunction with Defence Dept. 28.11.16 W.W.."

Two separate lines of enquiry were then followed.

The Deputy Postmaster General, Sydney, was asked whether there were any mail cervices in the Lismore district for which tenders could be invited for conveyance by "airship", and the Department of Defence was asked for the probable cost of supplying and maintaining "an aeroplane suitable to carry the aviator and a bag of mail weighing 80 lbs over a distance of say 200 miles per day."

Neither reply was favourable. On 28th December, 1916, the Acting Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, advised that there were no services in the Lismore district for which tenders could be invited, with advantage, for conveyance of mail by air. He believed that the existing surface mail services were satisfactory; it was questionable whether there were any aircraft available, and moreover the reliability of aeroplanes was still below the standard required for regular mail services. In its turn, the Defence Department replied that the Commanding Officer, Central Flying School, Point Cook, had reported: "The approximate cost of a suitable machine = about £1,500, hangar for same = about £500, spares etc. = about £300. Petrol consumption, about 3 hours daily ... 30 gallons @ 2/6 per gallon, oil say 5 gallons @ 5/— per gallon. Depreciation 200% per annum. One machine is not considered capable of undertaking the work. Three machines would be necessary and two pilots. The machines would require to be replaced every six months. Owing to engine stoppages, bad weather etc., a reliable service could not be maintained." He added that it was doubtful if any pilot would undertake a flight of 200 miles per day, and certainly not without a very large salary.

Meanwhile, the "Christian Science Monitor" of Boston (Mass.) in its issue of 9th December, 1916, reported on the United States Postmaster General’s interest in air mail experiments - an item which came to the notice of the Australian Postmaster General, who marked and initialled it on 29th January, 1917. On 2nd February, therefore, the Department wrote to the Postmaster General, Washington, B.C., asking "whether anything is being done by your Administration in the direction of utilizing aeroplanes for the extension of mail facilities in the United States...

However, it appeared that the time was not yet ripe in Australia. The Mayor of Lismore was informed that the cost of any air mail service, based on present conditions, was prohibitive, but that the American experiments were being watched. A similar letter was sent to Messrs Clarke, Padley and Co. (who had put out further feelers concerning aircraft sales) and Mr. Thureau, of Launceston Post Office, was advised that as the coal strike was now settled and shipping had resumed normal services, it was not necessary to consider alternative means of conveying mail across Bass Strait. In any case, the cost would be prohibitive.

The U.S. Post Office Department replied on 8th March, 1917, in a letter signed by Mr. Otto Praeger, Second Assistant Postmaster General , who in the next year was to be successful in establishing the first regular air mail services in the U.S.A. However, Mr. Praeger had had little success at the time of writing. He said:

"This Department has endeavored to establish regular mail service under contract to be performed by aeroplane on certain routes, but so far it has not been practicable to establish such service. An advertisement was issued February 12, 1916, inviting proposals for contract service on a number of routes. Only one proposal was received in response, and as it was not in the form required no contract was awarded... However, mails have been carried by aeroplane on a number of exhibition trips in this country, such trips having been made gratuitously under authorization from the Post Office Department."

Reprinted from Australian Post Office Philatelic Bulletin (1967/68)

See also Early Australian Air Services.