Reginald Myles Ansett KBE (1909 - 1981)

Born 13 Feb 1909 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Gracie Doreen (Nicol) Campbell — married 1 Oct 1932 in Maryborough, Victoria, Australia

Husband of Joan McAuliffe (Adams) Ansett — married 17 Jun 1944 in Caulfield, Victoria, Australia

Died 23 Dec 1981 at age 72 in Mount Eliza, Victoria, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Melanie Paul [send private message] and Ruby Larch-Grove [send private message]

Biography

Reg Ansett KBE is Notable.

• Best known for founding Ansett Transport Industries, which owned one of Australia's leading domestic airlines, Ansett Airlines.

Life Events

Reg Ansett KBE was born in Victoria, Australia

Reginald Myles Ansett was born on the 13th February 1909, at Inglewood, Victoria, Australia, the son of Charles John Ansett, and his wife Mary Ann Phillips.^[1]

He left school at 14 to work at his father’s woollen knit factory. Later he attended Swinburne Technical College and became qualified as a as a knitting-machine and sewing machine mechanic.

Ansett Airways – 2 Lockheed Electras; Mildura Airport (1 January 1938)

When he was 20 years old, in 1926, Reg obtained a pilot's licence (# 419), and began a service car operation in 1931/32. This ferrying of passengers and goods operation was forced into closing by the government of Victoria, causing Reg to look for alternatives. He turned to air service, in part because its regulation was under the federal government and the state had no say-so.

Reg married Grace Doreen Nicol on the 1st October 1932, at Christ Church, Maryborough, Victoria, with the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England.^[2]

It was in February 1936 that Ansett Airways Pty Ltd got off the ground, operating daily Mondays to Fridays. At the end of 1936, Reg participated in the Brisbane to Adelaide Air Race, losing to C. D. Pratt overall, and to Mr & Mrs J. W. F Collins in the speed section (also being beaten by Ivy May Pearce, one of a number of female competitors, the field of which also included Lores Bonney). Ansett was to contest his loss.^[3]

Ansett Airways – Office at Mount Gambier, South Australia (1954)

Reg and Grace were to have two sons, but the marriage was not to last, with the couple divorcing in 1941. Grace married again and took the boys to the United States.
Reg was also to marry a second time, on the 17th June 1944, under the Rites and Ceremonies of the Presbyterian Church, at Caulfield, Victoria. His second wife, Joan McAuliffe Adams, had been his private secretary.^[4]
Reg and Joan were to have three daughters by adoption.

Reg's appointment as KBE (The Order of the British Empire - Knights Commander (Civil) (Imperial)) occurred on the 14th of June, 1969, in recognition of his services to the transport industry.^[5]

Reginald Myles Ansett passed away on the 23rd December 1981 at his home at Mount Eliza, Victoria, Australia, and was aftterwards cremated.^[6]
Reg estate was worth more than $AUD8,000,000, more than half of it being left to his widow, and their daughters, or held in trust for their benefit. His sons were to inherit $AUD50,000 each.
There are conflicting accounts regards how much was inherited by each child, with some sources claiming that all five children received $AUD50,000 each, not just the two sons.
It was in 2005, some 24 years after Reg's death, that his children began to challenge his Will, with one daughter settling for a lesser sum than was eventually awarded to three of her siblings. (The eldest having chosen to not participate in the last attempt to overturn the Will, despite having been involved previously.)^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Registration — Victoria State Government, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Birth registration details: Registration number: 11776/1909, Family name: ANSETT, Given name(s): Regd Myles, Event: Birth, Mother's name: Mary Ann, Mother's family name at birth: PHILLIPS, Father's Name: Chas Jno, Place of Birth: INGLEWOOD, Reg year: 1909
2. ↑ Marriage #1 Registration — Victoria State Government, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Marriage registration details: Registration number: 8985/1932, Family name: ANSETT , Given name(s): Regd Ingles, Event: Marriage, Spouse's family name: NICOL, Spouse's given name(s): Grace Doreen, Reg. year: 1932
3. ↑ Newspaper Report on Air Race — "BRISBANE TO ADELAIDE AIR RACE" The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946) 26 December 1936: 25. Web. 13 Dec 2020 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141783884>.
4. ↑ Marriage #2 Registration — Victoria State Government, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Marriage registration details: Registration number: 8951/1944, Family name: ANSETT , Given name(s): Reginald Miles, Event: Marriage, Spouse's family name: ADAMS, Spouse's given name(s): Joan Mcauliffe, Reg. year: 1944
5. ↑ Honoured with KBE — Australian Government; Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet: AUSTRALIAN HONOURS: Mr Reginald Myles ANSETT
6. ↑ Death Registration — Victoria State Government, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Death registration details: Registration number: 1405/1982, Family name: ANSETT, Given name(s): Reginald Myles, Event: Death, Mother's name / Spouse's name: Mary Anne, Mother's family name at birth: PHILLIPS, Father's Name: ANSETT Charles John, Place of birth: Inglewood, Place of death: Mount Eliza, Spouse at Death: <Unknown Family Name>, Age at Death: 72, Reg. year: 1982
7. ↑ Contesting the Will — The Australian Financial Review: Ansett to contest father's estate; Mathew Dunckley, Digital Editor; Jul 26, 2008 – 10.00am; retrieved 20201212

• BDM registrations, newspaper articles.

See also:

• Australian Dictionary of Biography: Sir Reginald Myles Ansett.

• Ansett Museum: The Sir Reginald Ansett story.

• TAA Museum: Two Airline Policy.

• Only Melbourne : Sir Reginald Ansett

• Wikipedia : Reg Ansett
• Wikidata: Item Q5557595, en:Wikipedia

• MyHeritage tree