#Onthisday January 31 in 1921 marks 105 years since the first scheduled airmail service in New Zealand landed in Timaru.

Landing in a paddock south of the Washdyke Aerodrome in Timaru, completed the first scheduled airmail service in New Zealand.

Although not the first airmail run in New Zealand, the flight between Christchurch and Timaru (with a stop in Ashburton) marked the short-lived scheduled service which carried letters and people between to the two cities from January 31 1921 to April 2nd the same year.

From information gathered from, Timaru Herald, Ashburton Guardian and The Star (Christchurch evening paper) all detail the flight as a marvel of the pioneering age. With the Timaru Herald marking the airmail service alongside hydro-electric power the proof “the pioneering days are nearly over”.

The Canterbury Aviation Company was established by Sir Henry Wigram in 1916 as a private flying school, the company trained pilots for services in Britan during the First World War as New Zealand had no established air force.

Post-war the aviation company was in a dire financial position, and the scheduled mail service was hoped to improve the company's financial situation. The first flight made by Captain Euan Dickson, was not the first flight to make him famous, as he was the first pilot to fly across the Cook Stright.

Photo credit: Canterbury Aviation Company aircraft, 1921 (Alexander Turnbull Library, 1/2-070840-G)

After missing the planned landing spot in Ashburton where the pilot, and passenger; a reporter from the Christchurch evening newspaper could stretch their legs and the copies of the Lyttleton Times to be delivered to the Mayor, the Town Clerk and the editor of the Ashburton Guardian. A copy was also given to the Mayor and town Clerk of Timaru, the president of the South Canterbury Development League Mr E. G Kerr, and the editors of the Timaru Post and Timaru Herald and the manager of Hutton's Bookshop according to the January 31 1921 edition of The Star.

The Ashburton Guardian said Captain Euan Dickson accidently landed the machine in a paddock on Beach Road a bit more west than intended, landing in a paddock on the corner of Trevors Rd and Beach road instead of further down beach road.

The delivery of mail from Ashburton to Timaru was waiting at the property the plane was meant to land, a fair-sized crowd has collected, according to the Ashburton Guardian “when it finally landed, bicycles and motor cars combin[ed] in a race up the road”.

After leaving Christchurch at 8am and the slight delay due to the wrong landing, Captain Dickson arrived at 9.40am in Timaru landing in a paddock south of the Washdyke aerodrome. None of the papers detailed any crowds at Timaru once the flight landed.

The Timaru Herald edition on page 7 from February 1 1921 stated the headline another milestone.

“It is not necessary to be sentimental to have felt a passing thrill in the introduction yesterday of an aerial post. The venture is admittedly tentative and may not prove profitable; but it certainly is picturesque and historic. Nor can there be any doubt that someday, nearer probably than we imagine, that began yesterday as an experiment will be established as an ordinary necessity. The two great changes of the future are aerial transport and hydro-electric power, and in both of these the pioneering days are nearly over".

References

New Zealand's first regular airmail service begins | NZ History

New Zealand's first scheduled air mail service - Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Euan Dickson | NZ History

Papers Past | Newspapers | Timaru Herald | 1 February 1921 | AERIAL PROGRESS

Papers Past | Newspapers | Timaru Herald | 1 February 1921 | Another Milestone.

Papers Past | Newspapers | Star (Christchurch) | 1 February 1921 | AIR MAIL TO TIMARU.

Papers Past | Newspapers | Ashburton Guardian | 31 January 1921 | MAILS BY AEROPLANE.

Papers Past | Newspapers | Ashburton Guardian | 31 January 1921 | THE RETURN JOURNEY.