A return fare from Sydney to Southampton in the 1930s cost about £342. In Sydney, a new Chevrolet sold for about £330. Wealthy travellers paid anyway, and an international airline took shape on Sydney's eastern shoreline.
The Business Case
Rose Bay became Sydney's first international airport in the 1930s, when flying boats offered a key link between Australia and overseas. By the end of 1934, the first regular air mail service between Australia and England had begun. That year, Qantas Empire Airways formed as a joint venture between Australia's Qantas and Britain's Imperial Airways. That was 92 years ago.
In 1938, the airline moved its operations from Brisbane to Rose Bay, 88 years ago. It chose the location for its calm waters and central position.
The flying boat made economic sense. According to the source material, these aircraft could carry more freight than land-based aircraft of the time and cost less to operate. Rose Bay mainly handled mail, but paying passengers filled the cabins too. Routes followed Australia's east coast to Singapore, then went through Bangkok, Calcutta, Karachi, Alexandria, Basra and Marseilles before reaching Southampton.
David Crotty, former curator of the Qantas Heritage Collection, still consults with Qantas. He put the fare in perspective: "In those days it was a heck of a lot of money, considering you could buy a new Chevrolet car at that time in Sydney for about £330," he said. The flight took roughly nine and a half days. By sea, the journey took five weeks.
The premium offered a new experience. "It was quite luxurious, it was unlike anything Australia had seen before," Crotty said. Boats typically carried up to 15 passengers. They had several cabins, including one where smoking was allowed, and reclining seats. Qantas hired stewards with experience working on ships. They didn't cook onboard, but a small galley kitchen let the crew serve warm meals. It was Australia's first in-flight service.
War and the Market Shift
Passenger travel ended as World War II intensified and the military took over the flying boats. Civil Aviation Historical Society president Phil Vabre said the boats moved military equipment in Darwin and operated services to Nouméa, a United States base during the war. Later, they carried personnel, cargo and mail up the east coast into New Guinea.
The losses kept coming. "One by one they either were crashed, a couple were shot down," Vabre said. The air force had taken some Empire flying boats early on, too.
The boats didn't return to peacetime service. Vabre said they were difficult to operate commercially, with various challenges involved in operating from water. During the war, countries around the world built large airports, and land aircraft developed significantly. After the war, commercial land airports and aircraft became more widely used.
Rose Bay still had work to do. In 1940, 86 years ago, a Tasman Empire Airways Limited flying boat landed there on the first scheduled commercial passenger flight directly between Auckland and Sydney. In later years, Rose Bay flying boats carried passengers to and from Lord Howe Island until the island's land airport opened in 1974. Rose Bay Water Airport closed that year, 52 years ago.
What Remains
Sydney Seaplanes still operates from a Rose Bay base, where a commemorative plaque marks the airport's history. Sydney Airport in Mascot became the city's primary aerodrome, and Queen Elizabeth II officially opened its international terminal in 1970, 56 years ago. Western Sydney International Airport, in Badgerys Creek almost 60 kilometres from Mascot, is scheduled to start commercial passenger flights from October 25.
"Rose Bay was important; it was the headquarters of our connection to Britain and the rest of the world by air," Vabre said. "Rose Bay is probably associated with the romance of the flying boats."
Why This Matters: The Rose Bay story shows how customers, carriers and costs drove aviation forward. A joint venture airline built the route, passengers who could afford the fare paid for it, and lower operating costs made the flying boat model work. When land aircraft and airports built during wartime changed the economics, the flying boat gave way. Vabre's account suggests operators moved to what worked commercially. From a market-minded perspective, that's the lesson as Western Sydney International Airport prepares to open on October 25, nearly 60 kilometres from Mascot. Airports have their day. Then the next one arrives.