Donald Shand
Encyclopedia
Donald Munro Shand CMG
(20 September 1904 – 7 November 1976) was an Australian grazier and the founder of East-West Airlines
.
Shand was born in Drummoyne in Sydney
to accountant James Shand (later a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
) and Ann, née Donald. Shand attended Epping Public, Cleveland Street Intermediate High and Burwood Commercial schools, and studied at Sydney Technical College
while employed by a wool firm. He worked on properties near Armidale
before becoming a wool and skin buyer. On 24 May 1927 he married Evelyn Wigan, née Hawkins, formerly Hyde, a twice-widowed 48-year-old, at St Stephen's Presbyterian Church in Sydney. They settled near Armidale at Woodville, a 4000-acre property.
Shand converted the heavily wooded area of his property into agricultural land, selling wood to Armidale residents, and managed to survive the Great Depression
by long and hard work. His reputation grew and by 1939 he was known for cultivation of soy beans, peas
, chrysanthemum
s (for pyrethrum
) and opium poppies (for morphine
). He ran as one of several Country Party candidates for the House of Representatives
seat of New England
in 1940 and 1949, but was not successful. During World War II
he organised mass production of primary products by co-operating with other landholders and using women to work the land.
In 1947 Shand became the founding chairman of East-West Airlines
, which flew between Tamworth
and Sydney, as well as other routes. The airline was also used for agricultural purposes, spreading superphosphate, seeding and crop dusting, for example. Trans-Australian Airlines was a related company, but Shand resisted pressure from the Commonwealth Government and Senator Shane Paltridge to accept a takeover from Ansett. Routes to Maroochydore and Alice Springs were added in the early 1970s.
Shand had been appointed to a new crops advisory body by the government during World War II, and by smuggling grains of hybrid maize from the United States
he expanded on Australia's existing commercial industry. Appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1976, Shand was able to exploit the plummet in beef prices in the early 1970s with his new crops.
Shand's first wife died in 1951; he married another 48-year-old widow, Beryl Constance Downe, née Coventry, on 24 May 1952 at St Paul's Church in Armidale. He died at Woodville in 1976 and was cremated.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(20 September 1904 – 7 November 1976) was an Australian grazier and the founder of East-West Airlines
East-West Airlines (Australia)
East-West Airlines was an Australian regional airline founded in Tamworth, New South Wales in 1947. It operated to major regional city-centres and connected these centres to various provincial capitals. It was purchased from its original founders in a share buy-out by Bryan Grey and Duke Minks...
.
Shand was born in Drummoyne in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to accountant James Shand (later a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
) and Ann, née Donald. Shand attended Epping Public, Cleveland Street Intermediate High and Burwood Commercial schools, and studied at Sydney Technical College
Sydney Technical College
The Sydney Technical College was a name used by Australia's oldest technical education institution.It began as the Sydney Mechanics' Institute in 1843...
while employed by a wool firm. He worked on properties near Armidale
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
before becoming a wool and skin buyer. On 24 May 1927 he married Evelyn Wigan, née Hawkins, formerly Hyde, a twice-widowed 48-year-old, at St Stephen's Presbyterian Church in Sydney. They settled near Armidale at Woodville, a 4000-acre property.
Shand converted the heavily wooded area of his property into agricultural land, selling wood to Armidale residents, and managed to survive the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
by long and hard work. His reputation grew and by 1939 he was known for cultivation of soy beans, peas
PEAS
P.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
, chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
s (for pyrethrum
Pyrethrum
Pyrethrum refers to several Old World plants of the genus Chrysanthemum which are cultivated as ornamentals for their showy flower heads. Pyrethrum is also the name of a natural insecticide made from the dried flower heads of C. cinerariifolium and C...
) and opium poppies (for morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
). He ran as one of several Country Party candidates for the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
seat of New England
Division of New England
The Division of New England is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the north-east of the state, adjoining the border with Queensland. It includes such towns as Armidale, Ashford, Barraba, Bingara, Bundarra, Glen Innes, Gunnedah, Guyra, Inverell,...
in 1940 and 1949, but was not successful. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he organised mass production of primary products by co-operating with other landholders and using women to work the land.
In 1947 Shand became the founding chairman of East-West Airlines
East-West Airlines (Australia)
East-West Airlines was an Australian regional airline founded in Tamworth, New South Wales in 1947. It operated to major regional city-centres and connected these centres to various provincial capitals. It was purchased from its original founders in a share buy-out by Bryan Grey and Duke Minks...
, which flew between Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
and Sydney, as well as other routes. The airline was also used for agricultural purposes, spreading superphosphate, seeding and crop dusting, for example. Trans-Australian Airlines was a related company, but Shand resisted pressure from the Commonwealth Government and Senator Shane Paltridge to accept a takeover from Ansett. Routes to Maroochydore and Alice Springs were added in the early 1970s.
Shand had been appointed to a new crops advisory body by the government during World War II, and by smuggling grains of hybrid maize from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
he expanded on Australia's existing commercial industry. Appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1976, Shand was able to exploit the plummet in beef prices in the early 1970s with his new crops.
Shand's first wife died in 1951; he married another 48-year-old widow, Beryl Constance Downe, née Coventry, on 24 May 1952 at St Paul's Church in Armidale. He died at Woodville in 1976 and was cremated.