Tasman Empire Airways

Found this item in my collection and thought the Aussie members may want to comment. The stamp isn't anything special, and there is significant discoloration, but I thought it was a tongue twister -- Trans-Tasman Flying Boat Service. Is Tasman Empire Airways still in business?

Tasman Empire Airways Ltd (TEAL) became Air New Zealand in 1965, and is still flying under this later name.

All stamps are special.

Is it light hills? or dark hills?

Nice cover!

Only one sort of hills on the 5d, Rod. You know that ...

Reminds one of the that famous exchange in the NSW State Parliament:

Hon. Member for X: The Hon. Member for Y wouldn't have the brains of a merino.
Mr Speaker: Order! Order! The Hon. Member will withdraw that remark.
Hon. Member for Y: Very well, Mr Speaker, I withdraw the ramark. Tne Hon. Member for Y does have the brains of a merino.

I do now.
but the point was lost, that of deeper inspection.

What rod and tony are (not) saying is that the 2d from the 1934 Macarthur death centenary set has two types (in SG; 2 'dies' in Scott), with a significant premium for the examples with overall dark shading on the hill behind the sheep.

Worth looking out for.

Light hills, dark hills

To get back to TEAL - they were formed in 1940 and used Short flying boats on the Trans-Tasman crossing. These were similar to the Sunderland military version, and were built in Rochester, Essex.
Here's another cover from that era.



Later they flew American built Douglas DC-6, see below.



The descendant of TEAL, Air New Zealand, operates a mixed fleet of over 100 aircraft, roughly half and half jet (split between Airbus and Boeing types) and turbo-prop.
DavidR

Hi David,

I found another cover with the same overprint as one of yours. My envelope also says "first day cover". Is that also true ... I thought it was just the first flight, not first day of the stamp.

As DavidR is in bed, may I reply? The stamp was issued 2 January 1940, so I think it's just poor wording

Awake now! Thanks for filling in jubilee!
Yes, poor wording on the cover as you say, due to the Centenary set being mostly January 1940, but a great image of the Short flying boat. Nice to see a cover that accompanied mine on the trip!
DavidR

Just a quick reply from a 'Kiwi'. TEAL (no pun when that is my surname!)began in 1939. Original holdings were: New Zealand Government 20%, Union Airways 19%, BOAC 38% and Qantas 23%. The Auckland to Sydney route was so popular that by 1944, TEAL was operating three return flights a week across the Tasman. During the 1946-47 summer season, TEAL increased its Trans Tasman service to seven return flights a week.

In 1965 TEAL entered the Jet-Age when it purchased three Douglas DC-8 jets for the prestige services. TEAL was renamed Air New Zealand later that year. Coming full circle NZNAC, now called National Airways Corporation, was brought into Air New Zealand in 1978 giving ANZ a full domestic and overseas coverage. These two New Zealander airlines had worked hand in hand since the end of the war and finally joined to become New Zealand's national carrier.

There are NZ stamps featuring the flying boats and AirNZ aircraft.
Allen Teal