Qantas History: From Outback Queensland to the World – Airline Employee Shop

Qantas History

Qantas grew from a small outback air service in western Queensland into Australia's flag carrier and one of the best-known long-haul airlines in the world. Here's a short history of Qantas, plus the Qantas collection that celebrates it.

Outback beginnings (1920-1933)

Qantas was registered on 16 November 1920 in Winton, Queensland, as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited. The name Qantas comes from those initials. Its founders were Paul McGinness and Hudson Fysh, both former Australian Flying Corps airmen, with grazier Fergus McMaster as chairman. The company moved to Longreach in early 1921. Early work was charter flying and joyrides in an Avro 504K. The first scheduled service flew on 2 November 1922, from Longreach to Cloncurry.

Qantas Empire Airways (1934-1946)

In 1934 Qantas and Imperial Airways formed Qantas Empire Airways. In May 1935 the Darwin service was extended to Singapore with de Havilland DH.86 aircraft, the airline's first international flights. During World War II, Qantas Catalina flying boats linked Perth with Ceylon. The Kangaroo Service name dates from 1944.

Government airline and the jet age (1947-1991)

The Chifley government nationalised Qantas in 1947. That same year Lockheed Constellations took over the Kangaroo Route to London. Qantas ordered Boeing 707s in 1956, and its first jet service flew from Sydney to San Francisco on 29 July 1959. In 1967 Qantas Empire Airways became Qantas Airways. Boeing 747 deliveries began in 1971.

Private and global (1992-today)

Qantas bought domestic carrier Australian Airlines in August 1992. British Airways took a 25% stake in 1993, and the rest of the airline was floated on the share market in 1995. Qantas took delivery of its first Airbus A380 on 19 September 2008 and flew it from Melbourne to Los Angeles from 20 October 2008. In 2022 it ordered Airbus A350-1000s for Project Sunrise, its plan for nonstop flights from Australia's east coast to cities such as London and New York.

A few things collectors love

  • The kangaroo first appeared in 1944 on a Liberator. It gained wings in 1947, then lost them in a 1984 redesign that also dropped the cheatline.
  • The wartime Catalina service from Perth to Ceylon was called the "Double Sunrise" because people on board saw the sun rise twice. A single flight took 27 to 33 hours.
  • The first scheduled passenger, Alexander Kennedy, flew the Longreach to Cloncurry route in 1922 with Hudson Fysh at the controls.

Shop Qantas

Browse Qantas logo T-shirts, coffee mugs, coasters, tote bags and vintage designs in the Qantas collection. Add an airline bag tag or key tag for a gift any Qantas fan will enjoy.

AirlineEmployeeShop.com is an independent retailer of airline memorabilia. This page is for historical interest and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Qantas.