Celebrating 100 years of air mail: Qantas and Australia Post’s iconic partnership

In November 2022, we celebrated 100 years of Qantas and Australia Post connecting Australian people, post and parcels with the world.

Rooted in a shared commitment to keep Australians connected, Qantas and Australia Post have become part of the fabric of Australian society—a role that both companies take very seriously.

From the days of delivering mail humbly on foot and horseback, to our great leap forward with the dawn of air mail, we’ve strived to keep communities connected through parcels, postcards and letters from loved ones. Now, through this pioneering partnership, we’re able to reach even further into Australian communities and across the globe to help millions of people and businesses stay connected every day.

Learn more about the origins of our air mail service and how these two iconic Australian companies are looking to the future.

The beginning of commercial aviation and air mail in Australia

On 2-3rd November 1922, Qantas began its first regular air mail and passenger service between Charleville and Cloncurry, Queensland, in an open cockpit FK8 biplane.

The pilot for the first leg to Longreach was Paul McGinness, along with Qantas engineer W. Arthur Baird. The trip from Longreach to Cloncurry was flown by decorated World War I hero, Hudson Fysh, with the first official Qantas passenger, Alexander Kennedy.

Only two days later, Fysh accompanied the first female Qantas passenger, Ivy McLain, whose father paid for her to fly from Cloncurry to Charleville to save time on train travel when she moved to Brisbane for work1.

Fysh, McGinness and businessman, Fergus McMaster, are credited as the aviation pioneers who founded Qantas, with their legacy still living