Air Tasmania originally operated a DC-3 VH-MMF, before going broke and restarting with a Piper Chieftain VH-TXD in the late 1976.
Airlines of Tasmania was the combining of Executive Airlines which had become H.C.Sleigh Airlines(operating 3x C404 DLF, SON, UOP and AerocommanderAC680 VH-EXP) and Air Tasmania which was operating Piper Chieftains TXD, TZY ,TYV and PFS. The enforced merger was driven by the Tasmanian Government to provide a stable air service to the Bass Strait Islands. Airlines of Tasmania went onto operate the DH114 Herons CLY, CLX, CLV,CLT,CLZ and KAM, Piper Chieftains TAS, PFS, NPC, TZY and TAR, Piper Navajo CFE, Piper Mojave XGW, Embraer Bandierante WPI and Shorts SD360 TAO. They commenced operating in July 1982 and ceased operations in March 1997.
A few from the memory bank;
Ausair
Basair-operated Chieftains and Bandierantes into the Bass Strait Islands.
Bizjets-operated a number of C402B's on RPT from Essendon to Strahan and Smithton, Essendon to Portland and then acquired a Metro II to run a service Essendon to Devonport in an attempt to break the two airline monopoly Ansett/TAA had on the run.
Flinders Island airlines
King island Airlines
Promair
Paravion-operated the Nords across Bass Strait during the 1989 Pilots
Dispute.