The outback Queensland town of Charleville took centre stage as Qantas retraced the route of the airline's maiden passenger flight from 100 years ago.
A Qantas Bombardier Q400 turboprop made the 928-kilometre journey with special guests onboard, including descendants of the airline's founders and the first passenger.
While Longreach, Winton and Cloncurry all claim to be the true home of Qantas, it was Charleville from where pilot Wilmot Hudson Fysh took off with 106 letters onboard on November 2-3, 1922
He hopped to Tambo, Blackall, Longreach and Winton before the journey ended in Cloncurry.
"I'm very proud of it all; to think the first Qantas mail flight left out of Charleville is something really worthy of celebrating," Murweh Shire mayor Shaun Radnedge said.
In an otherwise turbulent year for Qantas, the airline returned to where it all began as a humble air mail service.
Cloncurry Mayor Greg Campbell said it was symbolic.
"I'd love to see not just Qantas, but a lot of corporate Australia, take out of what this centenary celebration means is that these truly authentic Australian companies were set up to serve the people," Mr Campbell said.
Qantas last touched down in Charleville in December 2021, when the company lost the government-subsidised flight contract for the route between Brisbane, Roma and Charleville to Regional Express (Rex).
The Queensland government regulates seven air routes to regional and remote communities because they are commercially unviable for operators.
All bar one is operated by Rex.
"We weren't worried with either carrier getting the Western 1 Route; our biggest goal was that the people of the Murweh Shire and surrounds got the frequency and opportunity to be able to fly to Brisbane and not have to worry about flights being cancelled," Mr Radnedge said.
A Qantas spokesperson said "having been founded in outback Queensland, Qantas remains committed to the region".
It currently flies from Brisbane to Mount Isa, Longreach, Barcaldine and Blackall and from Townsville to Mount Isa and Cloncurry.
"We know how important it is for our regional customers to have access to affordable air travel, which is why we offer discounted fares to residents of these five towns," the spokesperson said.
Humble beginnings
Qantas was officially born two years earlier in 1920, when Hudson Fysh and fellow World War I veteran Paul McGinness formed the company with the help of grazier and founding chairman Fergus McMaster.
Western Queensland farmer David Fysh, who is the great-nephew of Hudson Fysh and great-grandson of Fergus McMaster, said the founders were ahead of their time.
"If they were around today, they'd be into space travel like Elon Musk is using to get to Mars: they had such forward-thinking," he said.
Historic flight celebrated
The commemorative flight carried more than 200 letters, this time handwritten by Charleville school children.
Charleville postal manager Carol Butler said she was overwhelmed as she stamped the envelopes with a special 100-year commemorative stamp.
"Some had drawings, many addressed to "my pen pal", it was a very special moment sealing them all up," Ms Butler said.
Mr Fysh said he was excited to see Charleville make "such a big deal" of the occasion.
"It really wasn't just these three men that started Qantas; it was the people of western Queensland," Mr Fysh.
