Edward John Connellan and Connellan Airways

On this page

Edward John Connellan (1912–83)

Edward John Connellan was born in Melbourne in 1912. He began his working life as a teacher, but his real interests were aviation and the pastoral industry in the Northern Territory.



Having obtained his pilot's licence in 1936 and with the financial backing of friends, Connellan was able to undertake two aerial surveys of the Territory in 1938 in order to assess the potential role of aviation in the Territory's development. The results urged him to establish the service that in time became known as Connellan Airways. He was a keen believer in the benefits aviation could bring to the Territory.



From the 1940s Connellan and his family lived in Alice Springs. They established a small home called Araluen west of the town and also developed a cattle station on the property Narwietooma, north-east of the town.



Connellan died in 1983 and is buried in the memorial cemetery at Alice Springs. Adjacent to the cemetery is a museum devoted to Connellan and his airline.

Connellan Airways

In 1939 Connellan persuaded the Commonwealth Government to grant him a subsidy to operate a mail service between Alice Springs and Wyndham, Western Australia and subsequently founded an air transport company based in Alice Springs. The company, initially known as Survey and Inland Transport, became Connellan Airways in 1943 and Connair from 1970. It flew routes throughout the Territory and the north of Western Australia and provided support for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Connair fell into financial difficulty and was bought out by East-West airlines in 1980, but went into liquidation shortly after.

Record holdings

Records relating to E J Connellan and the operations of Connellan Airways are held by the National Archives' offices in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Darwin. A selection of items held is included in the table below.

Aerial surveys by E J Connellan

Canberra
Title or description of record Date range Series, item number
EJ Connellan. Application to assist NT aerial survey 1937–49 A431, 1949/1113

Melbourne
Title or description of record Date range Series, item number
Mr EJ Connellan, aerial survey work NT. Notes on method of aerial survey 1940–42 MP508/1, 307/701/30

Connellan Airways and aerial mail services

Canberra
Title or description of record Date range Series, item number
Connellan's air service, Alice Springs-Wyndham 1938–44 A659, 1944/1/549
Spares for aircraft. EJ Connellan 1943–50 A705, 69/18/285

Melbourne
Title or description of record Date range Series, item number
Agreement between the Commonwealth and EJ Connellan. Alice Springs and Wyndham air services 1939 MP183/1, 112
Alice Springs-Wyndham service, EJ Connellan 1940–41 MP347/1, 192/115/36
EJ Connellan operation of aircraft 1940–47 MP115/1, 8/101/1300
EJ Connellan. 12 months agreement from 3/2/1941 1941–42 MP347/1, 192/115/78

Darwin
Title or description of record Date range Series, item number
Inland aerial mail service contract with EJ Connellan, Alice Springs-Wyndham service 1938–40 F1, 1939/697
Inland aerial mail service contract with EJ Connellan, Alice Springs-Wyndham Service (pedal radio sets at Tanami Desert) 1941 F1, 1941/69
Inland aerial mail service contract with EJ Connellan, Alice Springs-Wyndham Service. Emergency landing grounds 1944 F1, 1942/402
Inland aerial mail service, contract with EJ Connellan 1944–47 F1, 1945/42
Ayers Rock – Central Australia, request by EJ Connellan to construct aerodrome in vicinity 1945 F1, 1945/189

Adelaide
Title or description of record Date range Series, item number
NT airmail, Barkly Tableland – Alice Springs – Camooweal – Borroloola, Connellan Airways 1944–53 D961, C1952/447

Properties held by E J Connellan

Canberra
Title or description of record Date range Series, item number
Connellan EJ, application for agricultural lease, NT 1942–45 A659, 1944/1/551

Darwin
Title or description of record Date range Series, item number
Narwietooma Station – EJ Connellan 1947–66 E740, P86
Proposed purchase of privately owned residence Araluen, EJ Connellan 1955 F1, 1955/374