Guinea Airways ‘58

Originally started under the name Guinea Gold, with a DH37 biplane called 'Old Faithful', Guinea Airways Ltd was registered on 4th November, 1927.

During the next few years the company was to become the world's leading freight operator, carrying huge loads by 1930 standards, including complete motorcars. With a fleet of 4 aircraft Guinea could carry around 16 tonnes a day.

In February 1937 Guinea Airways commenced a weekly service between Adelaide and Darwin, and for a short time operated from Adelaide to Sydney, but this route was abandoned when the Darwin service increased to 3 times a week.

In 1938 Guinea Airways won the Royal Mail Darwin to Adelaide trunk route. With their base in Adelaide they expanded into South Australian country areas.

With the start of WW II the Darwin route became a lifeline to the southern states. In January 1942 the Japanese bombed the company's headquarters at Lae, and they lost the bulk of the fleet of 15 aircraft. After the war they were prevented from resuming operations in New Guinea.

The Australian Labour Government policy was to nationalise airlines, thus Guinea Airways were unable to return to operations in New Guinea and the profitable Adelaide to Darwin service was taken away and passed on to Trans Australian Airlines (TAA).

Guinea Airways began co-operating as a junior partner with Australian National Airways.(ANA)

The early post war years saw the reduction of Guinea Airways from one of the world's leading prewar freight operators to a small registered airline.

From 1929 to 1942 Guinea Airways had carried 105,314 passengers and 73,480 tons of freight.

Guinea Airways started with one aeroplane and ₤50,000 capital and had operated without any government subsidy.

Merger proposals submitted by Australian National Airways were rejected by shareholders, although ANA virtually became managing agents. Ansett Transport Industries Limited (ATI) acquired ANA and so Guinea Airways made an arrangement with TAA on the 1st July, 1958 to receive the services previously made available by ANA. This led to a successful take over offer on the 1st July, 1959 by ATI (Ansett). Guinea Airways became Airlines of S.A. (ASA) on 17th January 1960.

Airlines of S.A. were taken over by Ansett on the 28th June, 1986.

The times for these flights are taken from the 1958 timetable available at the excellent www.timetableimages.com.

These services were provided at the time using Douglas DC-3 and Convair 340 aircraft. The DC-3 service from Broken Hill to Adelaide stopped at Radium Hill where the mine and the associated airfield have been long abandoned.

Convair 340 Service

Adelaide – Broken Hill (1144/1143)

Douglas DC-3 Service

Adelaide – King Island (1104/1103)

Adelaide – Pt Lincoln – Minnipa – Ceduna (1118/1117)

Adelaide – Pt Pirie – Whyalla (1132/1131)

Adelaide – Renmark – Mildura (1141/1142)

Adelaide – Cowell – Kimba – Cleve (1118/1117)

Flight Simulator Files

There is a Convair 340 aircraft available from www.calclassics.com