Background Information.

 

Qantas Empire Airways purchased five Douglas DC-4s in 1949 with a sixth joining the fleet on June 26, 1955. Initial services commenced on June 09, 1949 with services to Norfolk Island which were later extended to Auckland in New Zealand. On June 26, 1949 the DC-4 VH-EBM 'Philippine Trader' commenced a Sydney - Darwin - Labuan - Hong Kong service. This was followed by services to Iwakuni (Tokyo) in Japan in March 1950. On June 29, 1951 VH-EBM was leased to Tasman Empire Airways Limited (T.E.A.L.) to commence a Melbourne to Christchurch service.

 

The DC-4s began operation on the 'Bird of Paradise' route from Sydney to Port Moresby and Lae in Papua-New Guinea on March 13, 1950. Freighter services were operated from Sydney to Singapore commencing August 1950. This was followed by a Sydney to Noumea service on June 08, 1955 and later extending onwards to Nadi on June 17, 1955.

 

Qantas started to withdraw the DC-4s from regional services from May 31, 1956 but continued to operate the Sydney to Norfolk Island route until February 27, 1977 when VH-EDA 'Norfolk Trader' operated the final service from Norfolk Island under the command of Captain N. L. Maguire, as QF437, bringing an end to DC-4 operations by Qantas.