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Hudson Fysh

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Hudson Fysh

By: Grantlee Kieza
Narrated by: Tamblyn Lord
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About this listen

Hudson Fysh was a decorated World War I hero who not only founded Australia's national airline, Qantas, but steered it for almost half a century from its humble beginnings with two rickety biplanes to the age of the jumbo jets.

One of Australia's celebrated Light Horsemen at Gallipoli, Fysh went on to fly death-defying missions for Lawrence of Arabia with the Australian Flying Corps and battle Germans in deadly dogfights in the skies over Palestine. On his return from the Great War, Fysh launched his bush airline, the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd (Qantas), with the help of a wartime pilot friend and some western Queensland graziers. After flying the first scheduled Qantas passenger flight in 1922, he ushered in the Flying Doctor Service that still assists remote communities.

Fysh went on to guide Qantas through the dark days of the Great Depression, the perilous years of World War II and into the great boom in international tourism that followed with the jet age, giving millions of Australians their first experience of international travel.

©2022 Grantlee Kieza. Grantlee Kieza asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this Work. First published in English by HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited in. (P)2022 Bolinda Publishing. This audio version produced by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited. Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Oceania Aviation War Air Force
All stars
Most relevant
A wonderful telling of a remarkable Australian who lived an incredible and fascinating life. A light horse Gallipoli veteran, Middle East aviator, Qantas founder and so much more.

The narration was great, though I dropped a star off for several mispronounced names of several Queensland outback towns.

What a life!

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A remarkable story of a remarkable man who gave so much in serving his country and leading by example. Wonderfully written and read.

A fantastic journey of a truly remarkable Australian

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Yawn for the narration. It was an effort to stay awake.
This story should be in the school history curriculum. Excellent book.

A remarkable man. A remarkable story

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A very descriptive and interesting account of the life of Hudson Fysh and the birth of Australian air travel. Well read and very clear. Loved the story and recommend very highly.

A must read for any Australian aviation enthusiast

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I have heard of Hudson Fysh for years, but knew little about his life until listening to this very detailed biography. Grantlee Kieza has done a wonderful job of researching Fysh's life and telling his story, and that of Qantas, in an entertaining way. The stories of early aviation in Australia were the highlight, in my opinion - all those small planes, inadequate airstrips, frequent crashes and fatalities. It's not a happy story in many ways, but quite fascinating to hear about.
Tamblyn Lord gave a good reading, but with lots of mispronunciations of Australian place names, eg Barcaldine, Windorah, Urandangie. One would think a producer would be on hand to ask a nearby Queenslander, or look up the pronunciations.

Excellent biography of a great Australian

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