Early life
Ernest François Guillaux was born 24 January 1883 in Montoire, France. His father was a wheelwright, and he also worked in this trade; he married Héloïse Anne-Marie Langot, a farmer's daughter, in 1901. Little more is known about him until 1912, when he became well known as a pilot, using the name ‘Maurice’. Nelson Eustis, famous philatelist and amateur historian, made contact in 1964 with a son, Bernard, then about 62 years old.Career in France
On 19 February 1912, he obtained his pilot's licence, no 749. He became the chief pilot for the firm Caudron de Croty (Somme). From April onwards, he participated in many aviation displays. He was often able to fly in weather that was too severe for other pilots, but did crash on 29 April when his aircraft was caught by a strong wind gust at a display at Montoire. He flew, with a passenger, to England after this. On his return, in August 1912 he became chief pilot for theArrival in Australia
The party arrived in Sydney early in April, and spent the first fortnight assembling the Bleriot. His first flying display was given at Victoria Park, Zetland, Sydney, on 19 April 1914, followed by a display at Newcastle on 25 April. He was immediately received in the highest circles of Australian society, being officially welcomed to Sydney by the Lord Mayor on 28 April. During May and June he also performed in Melbourne, in regional centres such as Wagga Wagga, Albury, Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, and Bathurst and in Adelaide. These displays were hugely successful: hundreds of thousands of people paid to see him fly. He was received at Government House, Melbourne, and actually landed and took off from its grounds.Seaplane flights
Lebbeus Hordern, a member of the wealthy family which owned the Sydney department store Anthony Horderns, imported a Maurice Farman 'hydro-aeroplane' in 1914. It was the first seaplane in Australia. Its 70-horsepower Renault engine enabled a maximum speed of 60 miles-per-hour. Wingspan was about 57 feet, 17.3 metres, it was about 35 feet, 10.6 metres long, and weighed about 1680 pounds, 760 Kilograms. It could carry ‘two seventeen-stone passengers’ or three passengers of lesser weight. Lebbeus Hordern enlisted the services of Guillaux and his team to assemble and test fly the aircraft, and on May 8, 1914, Maurice Guillaux flew the Farman for the first time. Over the next few days he made many flights carrying passengers including the owner of the aircraft and Miss Louise Carbasse, then a 19-year-old Australian actress. After the war, she became a well-known Hollywood actress under the name of Louise Lovely. On 22 May Guillaux and Lebbeus Hordern announced their intention to fly the seaplane from Sydney to Melbourne, but this flight was never attempted. Guillaux also announced his intention to remain permanently in Australia, making his home in Sydney. He had purchased some more aircraft that would arrive in about three months.Melbourne-Sydney mail flight
On May 13 the American aviator 'Wizard' Stone announced plans to fly mail from Melbourne to Sydney, with a flight date proposed 'on or about' 23 May. This was delayed until June 6, but on June 1 Stone crashed in Rockhampton, Queensland, while racing against an automobile. He was injured and his aircraft was badly damaged. Guillaux took over the air mail project. He took off on his journey from Flemington showgrounds, Melbourne at 9:12 am on 16 July 1914, and landed in fields at Seymour and Wangaratta before entering New South Wales, reaching Albury racecourse at 12 50 pm. Here he had lunch with compatriot Alderman Frere before flying on to Wagga Wagga and then to Harden at 4 06 pm. Trying to fly on, he was forced back by bad weather. In one day he had flown about 575 kilometres, giving aerobatic displays over each town to entertain the huge crowds that greeted him at every stop. On 17 July he was again forced to return to Harden because of weather, but on 18 July he was able to move on to Goulburn. This was a freezing winter morning, for which Goulburn is infamous, and when he landed he rushed to the beacon fire to thaw out. He flew on, missing a planned landing at Moss Vale, but landing just behind the main street of Liverpool. After lunch with the locals, he took off in time to arrive at Moore Park, in central Sydney, by 2 50 pm. Here he was received by a huge crowd, including the Governor-General. A band played the Marseillaise and he handed over his cargo. There were 1785 postcards and special messages such as those from the Governor and the French Consul in Victoria to their counterparts in New South Wales. A packet of Liptons Tea and some OT lemon cordial were also carried; this was Australia's first air freight. This was, at the time, the longest air mail flight anywhere in the world.After the air mail flight
The flight created a sensation. Huge marketing campaigns were begun by OT juice, by Liptons, and by the manufacturers of Guillaux’ thermos flask. Guillaux continued to fly, and on August 1 had a serious crash at Ascot Racecourse, now part of Kingsford-Smith airport. He had recovered, and his aircraft had been repaired, by 18 September when he made the first flights from Ham Common, now part of Richmond RAAF base. He and Lebbeus Hordern had intended to expand their fleet and establish a major base here, but the outbreak of war had interrupted all their plans.Preservation of Guillaux’ aircraft
The Bleriot XI aircraft used by Maurice Guillaux is preserved in the PowerHouse Museum, Ultimo, Sydney.Return to France
Guillaux left for France on 22 October on SS ''Orvieto'', listed on the embarkation roll as an aviator attached to theDeath
Maurice Guillaux died when the prototypeReferences
Citations
Bibliography
* Eustis, H N, ''Fifty Years of Australian Airmails'', first published 16 July 1964, limited reprint 2013 by Aviation Historical Society of Australia, * Parnell, P and Boughton, N, ''Flypast'', Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1988, {{DEFAULTSORT:Guillaux, Maurice 1883 births 1917 deaths French aviation record holders Australian military personnel of World War I