Hudson Fysh | |
|---|---|
 A portrait of Wilmot Hudson Fysh ca. 1935 | |
| Born | January 3, 1895 |
| Died | April 6, 1974 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Known for | QANTAS |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Elinor Dove |
| Relatives | Henry Reed Sir Philip Fysh |
| Awards | KBE, DFC |
| Aviation career | |
| Full name | Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh |
| Famous flights | First flight in Australia with paying passenger. |
| Flight license | February, 1919 Heliopolis, Egypt |
| Air force | AFC, RAF |
| Battles | Middle East |
| Rank | Squadron Leader |
Squadron Leader Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh KBE DFC (January 3, 1895 – April 6 1974) was an Australian aviator, and businessman. A founder of the Australian airline company QANTAS, Fysh was born in Launceston, the second most populous city in Tasmania. Serving in the Battle of Gallipoli and Palestine Campaign in World War I as a lieutenant in the Australian Light Horse Brigade, Fysh later became an observer and gunner to Paul McGinness in the AFC. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross during the aftermath of the war for his services to aerial warfare.
Fysh, alongside Paul McGinness and Fergus McMaster developed Qantas in 1920. Despite government control, Fysh became managing director and chairman of Qantas. A committee member of the International Air Transport Association, he later became president of the organization. He was also one of the founders of the Australian National Travel Association, now known as the Australian Tourist Commission, a prominent member of the Royal Aeronautical and British Interplanetary society, the Institute of Transport and the Australasian Pioneers Club.
Acknowledged for his work as an aviation historian, Fysh wrote many books on the history and development of Qantas, exemplifying the airline's role in both military and civil aviation. Authoring a trilogy of memoirs dealing with the impact of Qantas in history, the series drew comparisons towards Winston Churchill's The Second World War, and were acclaimed as "well-written memoirs". As a result of his contributions to international aviation, he was knighted in 1953. After receiving an honorary EngD in 1971, Fysh died in Paddington at the age of 79, on April 6 1974.
After Fysh's death; in January 22 2001, to mark the centenary year of Australia Day, he was named in the list of "100 most influential Australians of the century" by the Sydney Morning Herald. In theatrical productions, Fysh was portrayed in the Australian television mini-series, Air Australia, a documentary depicting the history of early Australian aviation.[1] In 2002, Fysh was inducted into the Pacific Air Travel Association's Gallery of Legends for "personal excellence, integrity and a lifetime contribution to travel and tourism", the tenth person ever to be inducted.[2]
- ^ Air Australia – Teachers Notes (PDF). Film Australia. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ "Qantas Founder Inducted into Gallery of Legends" (Press release). PATA Communications. April 15, 2002. Retrieved 2007-11-29.