History behind Sydney's first international airport at Rose Bay, where flying boats were the norm
Sydney's Rose Bay served as the city's first international airport in the 1930s, utilizing flying boats for mail and passenger services. These aircraft provided a luxurious but expensive travel option before land-based aviation became the standard.
Why it matters
It provides historical context on the evolution of international aviation infrastructure in Australia.
Link copied Share Share article Some may assume the new terminal in Western Sydney is the city's second international airport, but it is historically the third.
Almost a century ago, Sydney experienced its golden age of aviation via flying boats.
By the end of 1934, the first regular air mail service between Australia and England began.
Flying boats were the chosen mode of transport as they could carry much larger freight loads than the land-based aircraft of the time, and had cheaper operating costs.
Two Qantas Empire Airways flying boats at Rose Bay in 1939. ( Supplied: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales )
That same year, Qantas Empire Airways was established as an international airline joint venture by Australia's Qantas and Britain's Imperial Airways.
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