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his airline meant that he had a conflict of interests. He did not relish the constant criticism. Moreover, pressure of
work in his air service assumed a great deal of his attention and he resigned from the Council in November 1967.
Connellan Airways underwent major change during the 1960s and 1970s. Paradoxically, the numbers of
stations served by the Airways declined because the newer and larger aircraft were unable to land on the more
primitive strips. By 1970 the Airways served 120 stations, towns and mining camps and comprised a fleet of
13 aircraft and 22 pilots. The Royal Flying Doctor Service continued to charter aircraft from the Airways until
1965 when it purchased two aircraft from Connellan for its own use, although Connellan pilots continued to fly
them. This arrangement continued until 1973.
The changing nature of the air operation brought increased attention from a government anxious to safeguard
its investment. Connellan found this increased government influence to be vexatious. The air service was no longer
strictly a family concern but Connellan continued to manage it as if it were by hand picking his fellow directors
and expecting them to be guided by his knowledge of the air service. He recognised the shortcomings in this and,
in April 1964, appointed George Crowther, from the highly respected Melbourne law firm of Weigall and Crowther
and a valued director of several Melbourne based companies, as Deputy Chairman. The arrangement was a happy
one until two years later when, in accordance with provisions of the new contract between Connellan Airways and
the federal government, Crowther became the government’s representative on the board. Thereafter, Connellan
found the new arrangement frustrating because his ideas no longer prevailed unchallenged. A measure of his
concern, and the fear that he might lose control of the company prompted him to change the name to Connair on
11 July 1970, the 31st anniversary of his first service. He did not lose control, but strengthened his position by
having an opponent on the board removed instead. Once Crowther resigned on 22 May 1972 Connellan remained
in total control.
Notwithstanding his company traumas, Connellan remained involved in public affairs. In 1974 he was appointed
a member of the federal government’s Transport Industries Advisory Council (TIAC), regardless of differences
of opinion and philosophy with the Labor Minister for Transport, Charlie Jones. He was among the first of the
aviation representatives to join the Council in 1974 and continued as a member until 1978.
Connellan’s public contribution to aviation and development in the Northern Territory continued to be
recognised. In 1978 he was promoted to be a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and three
years later, in 1981, was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for ‘services to aviation and the
community.’
Though Connellan remained securely in control of his board, a series of tragedies jeopardised the future of his
company. On 20 January 1972, a Queenair 80 aircraft crashed soon after takeoff on a charter flight, killing the pilot
and six passengers, the first occasion in 33 years of operation that passengers had ever been killed in an accident.
The devastation of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy early on Christmas morning of 1974 added to the woes of Connair.
The company suffered little damage and all staff responded mightily to the challenge, but the effort severely
strained the company’s cash flow and caused complications for many months afterwards. Far more devastating to
the fortunes of Connair were the effects of a strike by pilots called in September 1976. The consequences for the
company were severe. It lost revenue and the major airlines operating jet aircraft took over its plum route from
Alice Springs to Mount Isa and Cairns. Because of this, Connellan had to retrench about half the pilots and increase
fares.
The other tragedy to take its toll on Connellan and his company was the death of Roger, his eldest son, who
was killed when a onetime Connair pilot crashed a stolen aeroplane into the offices of Connair at the Alice Springs
airport on 5 January 1977. Connellan had tried strenuously to groom his senior managers, but those with whom he
had most success were attracted elsewhere. Roger, alone, shared his father’s commitment to the company and over
the years had gained experience in all aspects of its operations, rising to Chief Check and Training Captain.
By the late 1970s it was evident that, for all Connellan’s determination to maintain the airline, Connair could
not survive without new route rights; but these it was unable to acquire despite vigorous lobbying. Other desperate
measures were suggested in 1979, even that of splitting the company into two distinct operations, a charter
operation in the Top End and a regular public transport operation in the Centre, based on the Alice Springs to
Ayers Rock route.
Finally Connellan realised that he would have to negotiate the sale of his airline and, after months of
negotiation, concluded an agreement with East West Airlines in December 1979 with the sale to be completed on
14 March 1980. The new Northern Airlines was launched on 23 January 1980, but, despite considerable support
from the Northern Territory government, Northern Airlines lost upwards of 1 000 000 Dollars and closed down on
31 December 1980, less than a year after its creation.
By this time Connellan was busy about other matters which were given added urgency by cancer, diagnosed
and treated in the mid 1970s but once more malignant. He continued to devote time to Narwietooma but gave his
son, Chris, an increasing share of the work and management of the station. He assumed new responsibilities in
1981 as the first Territorian to be appointed a Director of the Stockman’s Hall of Fame. But perhaps the cause that
attracted most of Connellan’s remaining energies was the establishment of the Connellan Airways’ Trust, which
he hoped would ensure the survival of many policies aimed at developing the outback for which he had striven
for so long.
The establishment of the Trust was not a simple affair although at the time of the sale of the airline he was able
to convince most of the shareholders to contribute 47% of the receipts of the sale to the Trust. Amendments had to
be made to the taxation laws to ensure that contributions were tax deductible and to this end Connellan personally
lobbied the Prime Minister and his deputy and provided a ‘gift to the nation’ of 5 000 Dollars which went towards
the purchase of ‘a beautiful Australian cedar round table’, to be displayed at the reception room of Admiralty