Qantas Hangar is a heritage-listed former
hangar
A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
and now museum at
Landsborough Highway
Landsborough Highway is a highway in western Queensland, Australia, running in the northwest–southeast direction from Morven to Cloncurry. The Landsborough Highway runs through vast tracts of land that was once occupied by William Landsborou ...
,
Longreach
Longreach is a town and a locality in the Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia. It is the administrative centre of the Longreach Regional Council, which was established in 2008 as a merger of the former Longreach, Ilfracombe, and Isisford ...
,
Longreach Region
The Longreach Region is a local government area in Central West Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it superseded three previous local government areas that had existed for more than a century.
It has an estimated operating budget of ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
, Australia. It was built in 1922. It is now part of the
Qantas Founders Outback Museum
The Qantas Founders Outback Museum is a museum located in Longreach, Queensland, Australia. The museum was opened on 9 June 1996 in the heritage-listed Qantas Hangar, built by Qantas in 1922. Stage 2 of the Qantas Founders Museum was part of a ...
. It was added to the
Queensland Heritage Register
The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. A ...
on 21 October 1992.
History
The town of Longreach was gazetted in 1887 as the new terminus of the
Central Western railway line extending west from
Rockhampton. Prior to this, the site of Longreach was a teamsters stop; however the completion of the railway in 1892 provided the impetus for the rapid development of the town.
[
Interest in air transport was accelerated after the First World War. In 1919, the ]Australian Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...
offered to the first Australian who completed the flight from England to Australia in twenty-eight days. Two returned pilots, Wilmot Hudson Fysh and Paul Joseph McGinness, with their former flight sergeant Arthur Baird
Wilfred Arthur Baird (1889–1954), also known as Wilfred Arthur Beard, was the first chief engineer of the Australian airline Qantas. He established Qantas's reputation for excellence in engineering.
Early life
Wilfred Arthur Beard was born ...
as engineer, were prepared to attempt the flight but had to abandon their plans when their financial benefactor died shortly after the start of their attempt. Fysh and McGinness were experienced pilots, having been awarded with the Distinguished Flying Cross whilst serving in the Australian Flying Corps
The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) was the branch of the Australian Army responsible for operating aircraft during World War I, and the forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The AFC was established in 1912, though it was not until ...
. They had also served in the Australian Light Horse
Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both cavalry and mounted infantry, who served in the Second Boer War and World War I. During the inter-war years, a number of regiments were raised as part of Australia's part-t ...
and landed at Gallipoli in 1915.[
Unable to take part in the race, the two pilots were subsequently employed by the ]Department of Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
to survey the route for the race contestants. This took them through western Queensland and the Northern Territory and it was during this exploration that they realised the potential for an air service linking outback towns not linked by rail.[
In mid 1920, Fysh and McGinness decided to establish an ]air taxi
An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand.
In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) ...
and joy ride (for pleasure) service from Cloncurry
Cloncurry is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia. In the the locality of Cloncurry had a population of 2,719 people.
Cloncurry is the administrative centre of the Shire of Cloncurry.
Cloncurry is known a ...
. They met with grazier Fergus McMaster and two other backers from the Longreach area, who agreed to become financially involved in the project.[
The Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited (]Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founde ...
) was registered in November 1920 and the first official meeting was held at the Winton Club. Arthur Baird rejoined Fysh and McGinness as engineer and became the backbone of Qantas in the early years. In the same year, the company moved to Longreach, as it was a more central position from which to operate. Business was slow at first, as most of the interest was in joy rides which, in the early days of aviation, were expensive and sometimes dangerous. However, support from McMaster and the newly formed Country Party, as well as pressure from shire and municipal councils compelled the Australian Government to announce a tender for a mail run from Charleville Charleville can refer to:
Australia
* Charleville, Queensland, a town in Australia
**Charleville railway station, Queensland
France
* Charleville, Marne, a commune in Marne, France
*Charleville-Mézières, a commune in Ardennes, France
** ...
to Cloncurry. Qantas won this tender in February 1922.[
The first office in Longreach was located in Eagle Street. After this building was destroyed by fire, the office was moved to a temporary building in Duck Street before relocating to the Graziers Building across the street in May 1922. The first hangar was constructed near the site of the showgrounds in 1921. However, the contract for the mail service necessitated larger premises and a contract for a new hangar was won by Stewarts and Lloyds in March 1922. The hangar was completed in August 1922 and the inaugural mail service flight was made in November of the same year.][
The new hangar was erected on the site of the new aerodrome which was one and a half miles east of the town. Constructed of a tubular steel frame with galvanised iron cladding, it measured and cost . It initially had a dirt floor, but by 1924 when town water was connected, most of the floor had been concreted. The existing hangar near the showgrounds was dismantled and re-erected on the new site as offices and a store.][
The mail service was extended to ]Camooweal
Camooweal is an outback town and locality in the City of Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia. The locality is on the Queensland border with the Northern Territory. In the , the locality of Camooweal had a population of 208 people.
Geography
The l ...
and Normanton in the mid 1920s and the flying service grew to include transportation of food and people in times of flood and acted as an aerial ambulance in emergencies.[
]
In 1926, the development of aerial communications throughout the Commonwealth was encouraged during an Imperial Conference in London, resulting in Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Stanley Bruce
Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, (15 April 1883 – 25 August 1967) was an Australian politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Australia from 1923 to 1929, as leader of the Nationalist Party.
Born ...
increasing the budget for civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military and non-state aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work ...
. In the same year, production of DH50 aeroplanes under licence from de Havilland commenced in the Longreach hangar. Although this practice ceased in 1929 when the DH50s were superseded by the more complex DH61s, the construction of aeroplanes became a secondary industry in the grazing district, creating jobs for many local people. This new use necessitated extensions to the hangar which included the additions of workshops at the sides and sliding doors to the front.[
In June 1930, Qantas ended its occupation of the Longreach hangar when the headquarters were moved to ]Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
. This move was generated by the realisation that a takeover was imminent if they remained a small outback company. In 1934, Qantas merged with Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long-range airline, operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving the British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaya and Hong Kong. Passengers ...
.[
During the Second World War, the hangar was used by the ]Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
and subsequently by the United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
. After the war, the hangar became a terminal for the domestic services of various airlines, including local Longreach airline, Somerset Airways.[
The most extensive alterations were carried out in the 1960s when a passenger terminal comprising a waiting room, a trolley way for baggage and offices was constructed at the north east corner of the building. At the same time, the roof sheeting, ]purlin
A purlin (or historically purline, purloyne, purling, perling) is a longitudinal, horizontal, structural member in a roof. In traditional timber framing there are three basic types of purlin: purlin plate, principal purlin, and common purlin.
Pu ...
s and primary roof trusses
A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure.
In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembla ...
were replaced and additional purlins were installed. The plans for these alteration were drawn by the Commonwealth Department in 1960; however the work was not completed until 1963.[
The signage to the ]gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
ends has been repainted a number of times. The Allom Lovell Marquis-Kyle Conservation Plan states that the positions of the gables were reversed during the 1963 alterations and that the signs were repainted in 1963, 1969 and 1972. The 1969 repainting included the painting over of the sign on the southern end which originally read Qantas Empire Airlines, the name resulting from the 1934 merge with Imperial Airways to enable international flights to England.[
The hangar remained in use until 1996 when it was altered for re-use as the Qantas Founders Outback Museum illustrating the history of Qantas.][
]
Description
The Qantas hangar is located at the Longreach Airport
Longreach Airport is situated in Longreach, Queensland, Australia. The airport is northeast of the city.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service has one of its nine Queensland bases at Longreach Airport.
History
Longreach has played a major part ...
, on the western side of the complex and is a large, freestanding structure which forms a dominant landmark in the area.[
The hangar comprises a large open space, or hangarage, with annexes on either side and at the rear. The hangarage has a light frame of tubular steel which comprises a series of ]trusses
A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure.
In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembla ...
supporting a gable roof with a ventilated ridge. The roof trusses are only supported by columns where the roof has been extended over the side annexes. The gable at each end of the hangar is also sheeted with corrugated iron and painted with the words QANTAS LTD on the northern (front) end and QANTAS LTD AIR SERVICES on the southern (rear) end.[
At each side of the front elevation are new steel frames which support the recently constructed sliding doors when opened.][
Internally, the hangarage has a concrete floor, whilst the floors to the annexes are of timber boards. The walls and roof of the hangarage and annexes are clad in galvanised corrugated iron and openings are cut in the walls in some areas to allow light to enter the interior. Windows in the form of ]corrugated iron
Corrugated galvanised iron or steel, colloquially corrugated iron (near universal), wriggly tin (taken from UK military slang), pailing (in Caribbean English), corrugated sheet metal (in North America) and occasionally abbreviated CGI is a ...
flaps, hinged at the top are located down each side and at the rear of the annexes. The western annexe has been altered to accommodate offices and amenities associated with the operation of the place as a museum.[
]
Heritage listing
The former Qantas Hangar was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register
The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. A ...
on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria.[
The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.
The Qantas Hangar at Longreach was constructed in 1922 on the second site of then fledgling airline, Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service. Originally established in Winton, Qantas relocated to Longreach shortly after its registration. The hangar provides a tangible link with pioneering air services in Australia and demonstrates the evolution of air services in Australia as well as the development of the history of Queensland.][
The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage.
It is rare as one of the few surviving structures associated with the establishment of Qantas, now one of the largest international airlines, and as one of the earliest aviation sites in Australia.][
The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.
The large uninterrupted space of the hangarage and the adjoining annexes demonstrates the principal characteristics of a structures of its type.][
The place is important because of its aesthetic significance.
The hangar is of aesthetic significance as a landmark in the area, The simplicity of its design and construction also contributes to its aesthetic value.][
The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.
It has strong associations with the community of Longreach.][
The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history.
It has strong associations with the development of aviation in Australia. It also has special association with the founders of Qantas, W Hudson Fysh and Paul J McGinness, and engineer Arthur Baird.][
]
Q150 icon
In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, the Qantas Hangar was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "structure and engineering feat".
References
Attribution
External links
{{Commons category-inline, Qantas Hangar
Queensland Heritage Register
Longreach, Queensland
Aircraft hangars in Australia
Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register
Infrastructure completed in 1922
Qantas