When QANTAS was formed as a Queensland company on November 16 1920, Winton was recorded as the Registered Office. When QANTAS held its first meeting of the Board of Directors, it was held at the Winton Club. When QANTAS first approached a bank, it was the Bank of New South Wales in Winton.
Winton is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of that first QANTAS board meeting (and the solid support shown by Winton residents), on Wednesday 10th February, again at the Winton Club – still standing.
At 10am all are invited to the launch of the new book, WINTON AND THE QANTAS STORY.
This 117 page book was written to help commemorate the Centenary of that first QANTAS Board meeting, held at the Winton Club on the 10th of February, 1921.
It takes the form of a self-drive around Winton, visiting sites of significance in the formation of QANTAS. Couple this with local QANTAS stories, historical photographs, maps, clippings from the newspapers of the day and background to one of the keys to the successful formation of QANTAS, (Winton’s McMaster family), and you will see why Sir Hudson Fysh, one of the QANTAS Founders, wrote: “The idea of QANTAS was conceived in Cloncurry, born in Winton and grew up in Longreach. “ Another real OUTBACK Queensland success story.
The book will be officially launched by the Mayor of Winton, Gavin Baskett.
In the evening of Wednesday 10th February, again at the Winton Club, all are invited to witness a ‘radio play’ recreating the first QANTAS Board meeting, 100 years ago to the day. This play is being performed in honour of all those Winton aviation pioneers of 100 years ago who contributed money for shares, legal advice, secretarial services, landing strips, business through joy rides and charters, hangar space for the aeroplanes and piloting skills brought home from World War I.
To this end, all ticket sale monies will be donated to Jessamine Place, helping to keep today’s pioneers at home in Winton. A presentation by Jessamine Place will form part of the evening. The Winton Club will operate a cash bar. $10 Tickets are on sale at the Winton Newsagency.
NOTE: Author Jeff Close resides at Hampton and travels to Winton several times a year. Jeff and Bente Moller run Rhonda’s Refits at 100 Taylor Street, Toowoomba. Get your copy of Winton – there at the beginning of QANTAS” through outbackbooks.info or over the counter at Rhonda’s Refits.
