MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd. (MMA), callsign "Miller", IATA code "MV", was established in Australia in late 1927, by pilot Horrie Miller with the backing of chocolate millionaire Sir Macpherson Robertson.[1]
The airline's initial services were between Adelaide and Broken Hill. The airline grew rapidly and in 1934 transferred its main base to Perth, after winning a Commonwealth Government contract for air services to the North-West of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The airline has a fascinating history despite the hardship and distances it had to endure in the vast state of Western Australia.
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Early aircraft used by the airline included Avro Ansons, de Havilland DH.84 Dragons, Lockheed Electras and Douglas DC-3s. Later aircraft were Fokker F27, a leased Vickers Viscount and a leased Ansett Douglas DC-9, Piaggios, Twin Otters, F28 (both 1000 and 4000 series) and BAe 146 aircraft. The airlines Fokkers were amongst the hardest working in the world with some of the highest utilisation rates in the world. MMA's F28s flew the worlds longest twin-jet route at one stage, and certainly the worlds longest F28 flight, Perth to Kununurra. MMA also flew the worlds shortest scheduled air service, from Perth to Rottnest Island flying the DC-3 and the F27. MMA's first F28 was actually leased from Braathens SAFE of Norway (VH-MMJ c/n 11013) and returned to Fokker as PH-ZAH after the first of the ordered aircraft arrived. VH-FKD was originally purchased for Ansett division Airlines of New South Wales but transferred to MMA when it proved uneconomical on the NSW intrastate routes. Ironically this aircraft returned to Airlines of New South Wales service decades later.
During 1919, Captain Horatio (later Horace) ‘Horrie’ Clive Miller H.C. Miller purchased Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 G-AUCF from the U.K. and eventually launched the Commercial Aviation Company, in Rochester, Victoria. On 8 October 1920, he registered the Commercial Aviation Company. In 1927, the Commercial Aviation Company commenced weekly Adelaide-Mount Gambier services, using Airco D.H.9 G-AUHT.
During late-1927, the MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Co Pty. Ltd. was founded by Horrie C. Miller & Sir MacPherson Robertson, the millionaire confectionary manufacturer. It was not registered until 28 May 1928.
In October 1934, MacRobertson-Miller Aviation transferred its main base to Perth, W.A., after it won the Commonwealth Government’s contract for North-West services, previously operated by West Australian Airways
In 1955, MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Co. Pty. Ltd. & Airlines (W.A.) Ltd. were merged, to form MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd.,[2] at the request of the State Government.[3] MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd. began operations; combining the operations of MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co. Ltd. and Airlines (W.A.) Ltd., over a network of more than 32,000 km, from Esperance in Western Australia to Darwin in the Northern Territory.
On 19 April 1963, A.T.I. purchased Mac.Robertsons Pty. Ltd.’s 62% share in MMA, plus some 8% of MMA owned by Horrie Miller, via Miller Investments Pty. Ltd., to give it 70.49% (654,716 of 953,314 shares) of MMA shares, after MMA, in desperate need of funds for new F.27 aircraft (& planned new jet equipment), approached Ansett to purchase a major share.
On 1 June 1963, MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd. was renamed MacRobertson Miller Airline Services & became a division of Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty. Ltd.
In 1968 the airline adopted the Ansett "Delta" livery for its company image, introducing the new scheme on its leased Fokker F28 substituting the name MMA for Ansett on aircraft, vehicles and stationary.
It was renamed Airlines of Western Australia in 1981 using a new red and green colour scheme and a stylised kangaroo paw logo (the floral emblem of Western Australia). This scheme was adopted with the introduction of the first of the new Fokker F28 4000 series after Sir Peter Abeles and Rupert Murdoch acquired control of the Ansett Group, as part of a restructuring of the local divisions.
Renamed Ansett WA in 1984 and once again it adopted the parent companies livery and image. It was also briefly named Air WA prior to naming it Ansett WA, although this only appeared on a single BAe 146 aircraft which was repainted Ansett WA before entering line service. In 1993 the division was absorbed by Ansett, and any connection with its Western Australian heritage vanished. On 14 September 2001 Ansett collapsed. By the time it became an integral part of the Ansett group, it was Australia’s oldest continually-operating domestic airline, and one of the oldest airlines in the world.
MMA was affectionately referred to by the West Australian locals as "Mickey Mouse Airlines".
MMA operated out of Perth Airport. The main road leading into Perth Airport's International Terminal 1 is named after Horrie Miller.
MMA usually named it's aircraft after Western Australian rivers, and the last letter of the aircraft registration reflected this i.e. Fokker F27 "RMA SWAN" had VH-MMS, "RMA ROBE" VH-MMR etc. One exception was Fokker F27 VH-MMU, "RMA MABUHAY", leased from Philippine Airlines. The name meant "welcome" in one of the Filipino dialects.
The F28s were named after Western Australian regions (Pilbara, Goldfields etc.), but the F28s' registrations "FK" prefix reflected the aircraft manufacturer, Fokker.