MESSAGE FROM ALAN JOYCE - FAREWELL GEORGE ROBERTS, OAM
Today we farewell George Roberts, one of our earliest, long-serving and most dedicated employees.
George died in a Sydney hospital this morning with his family by his side, aged 99.
George played witness to Australian aviation history – and became part of our own amazing Qantas story.
George and his brother Norm were there in 1928, when Charles Kingsford-Smith completed the first crossing of the Pacific by air, and greeted Bert Hinkler after his first solo flight from Britain to Australia. When Amy Johnson became the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia, George helped her to safety after her plane crash-landed in Brisbane in 1930.
In 1936, George joined Qantas as a young engineer. He was 'Employee Number 50', recruited by Qantas founder, Arthur Baird. One of George’s early jobs was to service the instruments and electricals of the Empire Class flying boats at Sydney's Rose Bay.
George saw Qantas evolve from a small outback company to one of the world’s leading airline Groups.
For his services to aviation in Australia, George was awarded the Order of Australia in the 2003 Australia Day honours list.
George never lost his passion for flight. He volunteered for Qantas at our Heritage Centre in Sydney well into his nineties, and remained a greatly loved figure. George once told an ABC journalist that when an aircraft flew overhead, he still went out to take a look.
Our fourth Qantas A380 touched down at 7am this morning, named Fergus McMaster, after another of our Qantas pioneers.
Today we remember George Roberts, who contributed so much to the magnificent story of Qantas past. Now it is up to us to keep on building the future.
He will be sadly missed ...I have meet him a couple of times ..what a great bloke he was,and yes I think most of us still look up when we hear an aircraft
Another chapter of both Qantas and Australian Aviation closes. Got to meet George to flew times he was a well liked gentleman and a wonderful to talk too, Will be sadly missed.
Ahhhh . . .. 'que hombre!' Had so many a tail about his time with the airline. A couple concerned one George Urquat Allan and a book written about him by Elizabeth Shearman. ('Scotty Allan = Australia's Flying Scotsman.') When George Roberts learnt I'd been to the Allan house with book for signing he said 'Burn it!' 'Can't do that George. Too many good photos in it.' 'Well" says George, "Delete the 'F' in 'Flying'. Another one concerned the Harbour Bridge toll, which at the time was a shilling for car and driver, threepence each additional passenger. George is driving. Scotty in the back seat. Pull's up at booth. George feels in his pocket for a couple of bob just as Scotty's outstretched arm goes out George's window and thick brogue from the back says "Here's ma thruppence.'
'Qantas, by George!' Highly recommended. Perhaps a bit hard to find a copy today.
George was Mr. Qantas, a engineer who was revered for the last 60 years by everybody he met, including me. What he did not know about Aircraft could be written on a postage stamp, farewell ol fella, may you find Scotty, Bert Ritchie, and all your old mates in a aircrew bar somewhere, and continue the chinwag. RIP
Your abysmal lack of PNG aviation knowledge is obvious.
Read and learn. Don't criticise what you don't understand. PNG has trained some of the finest aviators, including I'm sure, the pilots of the APNG Twin Otter.
Tail Wheel Forum Moderator
This mild admonishment from two weeks ago, and it's more general ramifications, seem not to have sunk in. Sigh . . .. . .
Mr. Joyce, perhaps you might consider the next new aircraft to arrive on our shores to be called "The George Roberts" a fitting memorial to such a fine engineer and gentleman, who served QF and aviation all his working life, it would also do wonders to improve the relationship between the engineering fraternity and management which took such a battering in the GD era, George would love that.
One wonders if George will get a flyover at his funeral, he deserves it for the loyalty and hardwork and unselfishness he displayed. Yet Nancy Bird Walton who didn't work a day in her life at QF got all the bells and whisltles, a carry over frm the womens lib movement trying to overrun QF.
RIP George I hope they upgraded you on your last journey and I will never forget the stories and the history you shared with me.
Awaiting Assignment, steady on old chap, Nancy Bird Walton did not have to work at QF, in fact I doubt if she would have had the time. She was far to busy raising money for the RFDS, helping and encouraging young female pilots, and doing another million things mostly in the name of Aviation. Do you really believe you would have the balls to do what Nancy did? Fly aircraft that were basic to say the least, flying medical help to outback stations, taking sick kids to base hospitals, if you knew the lady, and I mean lady, you would honor her like the rest of us and that includes QF, and certainly George Roberts cared for her deeply. Go read her story, you could well change your mind.
Teresa Green maybe your the one who should steady on old chap. I am defending the hardwork done by a loyal worker of Qantas and asking the question will he be given the same treatment that Qantas gave a non employee. I am not questioing her credentials, but she didnt do it representing Qantas, GEORGE DID, and he deserves the same and more. And if you think I am some aviation fly by nighter, Qantas has been in my family dating back to the early 1940's (including me currently) and very close to Geroge, so I can safely say I know more about where I am coming from than you, in relation to Qantas.
I don't want this post to move away from George's contribution to Qantas and aviation in general and again I will say I was deerly proud to have met him.
Awaiting Assignment, I also go back a long way in QF but am not really interested in some family tree challange, your remark re womens lib in regard to Nancy Bird Walton is garbage, as I said before go read her story, as for George read my previous post, I sure QF will have some fitting memorial to him, and hopefully name a aircraft in his honor, its the least they can do.
