1874-1959 AKA Graham Carey, R. Graham Carey & RGC |
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via email from Edith Martin, 6-18-04 As editor, I am about to publish a biography of my grandfather Robert Graham Carey, written by mother and an aviator colleague. Carey has been rather an unsung hero among the early aviation pioneers and we hope to remedy this oversight. At 42 years of age, on November 23, 1916 Carey flew solo from Ballarat to Point Cook AFC in Victoria and became the first civilian issued with a Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate, from an official Australian source, and the first to obtain an official commercial flying permit. November 23, 1917 Carey flew the first airmail from Adelaide to Gawler, South Australia in his Bleriot XI monoplane. This was the same plane that had belonged to Maurice Guillaux, who had flown the first airmail in Australia from Melbourne to Sydney in 1914. Grandfather's flight has been commemorated on the 40th, 50th & 60th anniversaries with official re-enactments etc. Mum & I flew in an Iroquois helicopter for the 1997 re-ennactment! He pioneered commercial aviation moving on with the Bleriot to the establishment of his own airfield in Port Melbourne from 1920 with ownership of 4 ex Defence Department Maurice Farman Shorthorns (training school surplus). From fuel merchant with a wheelbarrow to early motoring enterprises and a commercial aviation career Carey took great pride in his 'Safety First' motto and took up 70,000 passengers, two at a time, without ever having more than a minor mishap. Carey's tireless promotion of aviation instigated many 'firsts' during his personal flying exploits and his biography makes fascinating reading. His final public appearance as a pilot, aged 63 years, was on King George VI's coronation day, May 12, 1937 when he took the Farman aloft during the Melbourne Coronation Motor Show.No record of the early flying days would be complete without the inclusion of this colorful personality. His was a wonderful work - educating people to air safety. |
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and The Oldest Airman in the World |
via email from Edith Martin, 6-20-04 The folks at Kingston, (See below), are very well known to us and have the majority of their material provided by my mother. We belong to Friends of Point Cook Aviation Museum and Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia (QuadA). Mum donated a shield, perpetual award in memory of her father. It is presented annually at a major fly-in for the best plane restoration and first showing. We have had some great flights in these restored aeroplanes, from tigers to austers to pacers etc. My Mum will be a healthy 90 early November so the book launch at Pt Cook RAAF base museum, will be before then. |
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Canadian Aviation Museum |
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I sent an article last year to a South Australian chap (stranger to me) who has included it on his
website: Best wishes Edith Martin |
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Editor's Note: The website cited above, "AVIATION HISTORY, AUSTRALIA," offered a number of important biographies,
many with photographs, of Australian pioneer aviators. As of today, July 1, 2006, the original link has become obsolete, the website has
disappeared from the net. In response to Edith's request, I have recovered it, but using the "waybackmachine" website and you can
access it by clicking on the title above. To access the homepage, click on: |
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and the Maurice Farman S.11 Shorthorn |
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Bleriot monoplane ..."flown by Maurice Guillaux with first Australian airmail from Melbourne to Sydney in 1914. The plane was purchased in 1916 by Ballarat garage proprietor, (Robert) Graham Carey. Carey used the aircraft to open a flying school and for numerous flying demonstrations around Victoria in aid of the War effort. In the Bleriot, Carey flew the first South Australian airmail service from Adelaide to Gawler on 23 November 1917." Of special interest to me in this fascinating story are references to several other pioneer aviators to be found in a section entitled "USED." "Two Bleriot XI monoplanes with Anzani engines were shipped to Australia as early as 1910. The first was brought out to Adelaide by a businessman, Fred H. Jones, and flown by Bill Wittber at Bolivar, north of Adelaide, on 13 March 1910, arguably Australia's first controlled powered flight. The other was sent to Melbourne by the Bleriot firm and flown by a French pilot, Gaston Cugnet. It crashed while taking off on its first flight from the Melbourne Cricket ground on 5 December 1910. There was also a Bleriot at Point Cook Aerodrome, Victoria, early in the First War." You can enjoy the rest of this very informative story by clicking on the title above. |
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from the CLOUDS Des Martin and Bertha Carey editor Edith Martin Product Details Hard Cover: 144 pages Dimensions: 160 x 185mm 100+ Historic B & W images List Price: $35.00 +mailing charges Designed, Produced & Printed in Australia ISBN: 1 920892 13 3 |
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Australian Pioneer Aviator For more information and to order the book, click on: |
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Books by La Trobe graduates and staff Edith Martin, BA 2002 Martin, D. and Carey, B. and Martin, E (ed.) A Message from the Clouds Published by Edith Frances Martin, Australia, 2004. This is an unusual book sitting somewhere between family memoir and biography. It is an easy and interesting read that focuses on the early days of aviation in Australia - particularly in Victoria - through the story of Robert Graham Carey or 'RGC' as he was known. Carey was one of the first pilots to operate commercially in Australia flying in open cockpit machines - such as the Bleriot - that were at the mercy of the weather and often came to grief. Notwithstanding that Carey carried some thousands of people into the clouds without mishap. A strong feature of the book is the many period photographs of the era - the 1920s. A time when the horse and buggy was being replaced by the motor car and Carey had an interest in cars as well, running a taxi service in Port Melbourne. Carey was a motor engineer, was a Light Horseman, but loved flying above all else. He was a bold, influential, individualistic, and charismatic person who has an important place in Australian aviation history. He set up his own aerodrome referred to as the 'Careydrome'. The book relates the hard times that befell Carey in the late 20s due to a downturn in aviation. There is a restored Farman aircraft, of the sort that Carey flew, on display at the Point Cook RAAF museum in Victoria. This book will be enjoyed by anyone interested in the history of aviation, or indeed, in that period of Victorian history. Reviewed by Dr Ralph Blunden BA Hons 1983, MA 1988, PhD 1994 |
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Personal Communication Via Email from Edith Martin, 6-18-04 |
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If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper |
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