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Today in History

31 January

1921 NZ’s first regular airmail service begins

The first flight of the Canterbury Aviation Company’s new airmail service took off from Christchurch, bound for Ashburton and Timaru.

George Bolt had made the first official airmail flight in New Zealand in December 1919, flying between Auckland and Dargaville. The Canterbury Aviation Company hoped to go one better with a regular service using an Avro 504K biplane. But the service never really gained the custom it needed to make a profit and closed in April. Meanwhile, Bolt’s attempt to establish a regular service between Auckland and Whangarei also ran into trouble and closed a month later.

The Canterbury Aviation Company was established as a private flying school by Sir Henry Wigram in 1916. Wigram has been described as the ‘Father of aviation in New Zealand’ and as the country had no air force at that time, the company trained pilots for service with British air forces during the First World War.

In 1923 the New Zealand government purchased the land and assets of the company as the base for its newly formed air force, and renamed the airfield ‘Wigram’ in honour of its founder. Wigram was the main training base for the Royal New Zealand Air Force pilot trainees, navigators and other aircrews until its closure in 1995.

Image: early mail flight (Te Ara)