Ansett, Sir Reginald (1909-1981), pioneered commercial air transport in Australia. Ansett obtained a pilot’s license in 1929. In 1931, he entered the transport business, carrying passengers between Ballarat and Maryborough in a secondhand Studebaker automobile. Ansett launched Ansett Airways in 1936, after being barred from competing on the ground with the railroads. The company’s name changed to Ansett Transport Industries in 1946. In 1957, Ansett’s company took over Australian National Airways to form Ansett-ANA. The company later took over more airlines and became involved in other industries, including broadcasting, machinery manufacturing, and car and aircraft sales.
Reginald Myles Ansett was born on Feb. 13, 1909, in Inglewood, Victoria. He was knighted in 1969 by Queen Elizabeth II. He died on Dec. 23, 1981.
