POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

'Faith in Australia' airline ticket

Object No. P2774

This is a book of 10 aircraft tickets, each costing 10 shillings, which were used for fundraising flights piloted by the Australian aviation pioneer, Charles Ulm, in his aircraft, 'Faith in Australia'. In the early months of 1934 Ulm generously donated the free use of his plane to raise much-needed funds to complete the ANZAC Memorial in Sydney's Hyde Park. Ulm was co-commander on a number of significant pioneering flights with Charles Kingsford Smith (Smithy) but today (2019) no longer recognised while Smithy's name lives on. However, Ulm did set a number of aviation records in his own right flying 'Faith in Australia' including the England to Australia record of 6 days, 17 hours and 6 minutes, in 1933, flying from Australia to New Zealand in 1933 and carrying the first air mail from New Zealand to Australia in 1934. These achievements are printed on the tickets. During March and April 1934 Ulm and his co-pilot, G.U. 'Scotty' Allan, flew to New South Wales country towns and cities including Tamworth, Bathurst, Coonabarabran, Grenfell, Parkes, Wellington, Gunnedah, Grafton, Inverell, Dubbo, Coffs Harbour, Murwillumbah and Lismore landing at local aerodromes and racing tracks to provide passenger joy flights in his three-engined Avro 618 Ten aircraft. Ulm gave many country people their first experience of flying and spoke at local civic receptions and lectures about aviation. He had been one of the first to enlist during World War I, lying about his age to enlist in the AIF in September 1914 at only 16. He was wounded at Gallipoli in 1915 but later served on the Western Front in 1918. The ANZAC memorial was opened on 24 November 1934. Tragically and ironically Ulm lost his own life on a flight to Hawaii only a month later in December 1934. Margaret Simpson, Curator, August 2019