Norman Brearley
Encyclopedia
Sir Norman Brearley CBE
was a commercial and military pilot and one of the pioneers of the airline industry within Australia
.
and subsequently enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps. Whilst flying in France
during World War I
he was badly wounded in October, 1916, and returned to Western Australia to recover.
In 1921, Brearley founded West Australian Airways
Ltd. In the same year, Brearley was issued with the first civil pilot's licence under the 1921 Air Navigation Regulations. Despite his holding licence No. 2, licence No. 1 was not issued until the 1930s in honour of Amy Johnson's
record flight from London
to Australia.
In 1927, Brearley opened the Perth Flying School at Maylands. He retired from commercial aviation in 1936 when he merged his airline with Australian National Airways
.
during World War II
.
Brearley was knighted
in 1971.
Brearley died on 9 June, 1989.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
was a commercial and military pilot and one of the pioneers of the airline industry within Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Aviation career
In April, 1915, after undertaking a 5-year apprenticeship as a mechanic, he worked his way to the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and subsequently enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps. Whilst flying in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he was badly wounded in October, 1916, and returned to Western Australia to recover.
In 1921, Brearley founded West Australian Airways
West Australian Airways
West Australian Airways was an Australian airline based out of Geraldton, Western Australia. Established on 5 December 1921 as Western Australian Airways by World War I pilot Norman Brearley it was the first airline in Australian history to establish a scheduled air service. The first service left...
Ltd. In the same year, Brearley was issued with the first civil pilot's licence under the 1921 Air Navigation Regulations. Despite his holding licence No. 2, licence No. 1 was not issued until the 1930s in honour of Amy Johnson's
Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson CBE, was a pioneering English aviator. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, Johnson set numerous long-distance records during the 1930s...
record flight from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Australia.
In 1927, Brearley opened the Perth Flying School at Maylands. He retired from commercial aviation in 1936 when he merged his airline with Australian National Airways
Australian National Airways
Australian National Airways was Australia's predominant carrier from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s.-The Holyman Airways Period:On 19 March 1932 Flinders Island Airways began a regular aerial service using the Desoutter Mk.II VH-UEE Miss Launceston between Launceston, Tasmania and Flinders...
.
Later life
He later served with the Royal Australian Air ForceRoyal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
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...
.
Brearley was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1971.
Brearley died on 9 June, 1989.
Further reading
- Brearley, Norman, Sir, and Mayman, Ted (1971) Australian aviator Adelaide, Rigby. ISBN 0851792278
- Mayman, Ted (1979). "Sir Norman Brearley, the aviator", in Hunt, Lyall (ed): Westralian Portraits. Nedlands: University of Western Australia Press, 193–198. ISBN 0-85564-157-6.