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Early in 1945, Six Communications Unit transferred to the old airstrip in Darwin (now Ross Smith Avenue).
Slade had many long talks with Dr Bruce Kirkland, who told him of the need to re-establish an Aerial Medical
Service once the war was over. The RAAF was providing the service even then. The war ended in August but
Slade continued the service to the outback until 4 April 1946 when he advised everyone by telegram that the RAAF
service had ceased.
Jack Slade returned to Darwin on 21 June 1946 to re-establish the Aerial Medical Service. On his return to
Darwin in 1946, Jack Slade acquired two ex-RAAF Dragon aircraft that were taken to Mascot, Sydney, to be
refurbished and equipped as ambulances. A third aircraft was retained in Darwin to provide spare parts. These two
air-ambulances were in use for another ten years. The first three-engine Drover was purchased in 1952, the first
air-ambulance fitted with a transceiver radio. De Havilland Dove aircraft eventually replaced these aircraft;
they were comfortable and fast.
Slade was employed by the Department of Health but immediately after the war there was little staff
accommodation. He camped in a one-room hut near the Laboratory and dined with the dentists in the hospital
kitchen. Some months later he acquired one of the Allied Works Council huts under the Poinciana trees near the
entrance to East Point Reserve. When land became available at Fannie Bay Slade purchased a block bordered by
East Point Drive and Bayview Street and built his own home from cypress pine milled on Elcho Island. He married
Meryl Nichol on 7 March 1962. There were no children from the marriage. Fannie Bay was an idyllic spot
until Fannie Bay Hotel, complete with public bar, was built nearby. By 1974, the Slades had a new home under
construction beside the Stuart Highway, a kilometre south of the Arnhem Highway; they were able to move into
this when Cyclone Tracy destroyed both the Slade home and the Fannie Bay Hotel.
Immediately after the war, the federal Labor government in Canberra set up a government owned airline
Trans-Australia-Airlines (TAA) and from March 1952 the Aerial medical Service came under its control.
The company employed the pilots and serviced the aircraft. It also provided relief pilots but did not interfere with
the conduct of the service.
Work in the outback was restricted by lack of aircraft fuel. Slade arranged the delivery of fuel to key missions,
cattle stations and police stations. This operation proved immensely expensive and as so much fuel was stolen, it was
not practical. The aircraft had to carry enough fuel for return trips, which meant fewer passengers. Slade always
liked a spare seat for any emergency; he had learned from experience.
In his 1948 report Jack Slade recorded 98 215 kilometres flown, taking 667 hours, 91 of which had been at
night. He had made 196 landings on licensed airstrips, 66 on unlicensed ground and four on beaches. When asked
about unlicensed ground he told of landing in a peanut patch; the woman patient was so heavy he had to leave the
nursing Sister among the peanuts. It was possible to land small aircraft on beaches in emergencies but when bigger,
better aircraft were introduced this was no longer possible. Many of Slade’s exploits are recorded in Ellen Kettle’s
Health Services in the Northern Territory; A History 1824–1970.
Prior to 1954 when there was no regular mail delivery, Slade would carry first-class mail for the isolated
church missions. When an emergency call was received, Slade would phone the respective Mission headquarters
in Darwin and someone would deliver the mail to the airport. On the return trip, there was always mail for posting.
Slade retired from active flying in June 1970 but continued as the operations manager until June 1980. On retirement
he kept his log books and these, in conjunction with his wife’s logbooks, have proved an invaluable record.
Jack Slade was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) during his war service and was later honoured with
the award of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). He died from a heart attack on 4 December 1990,
survived by his wife Meryl. His body was cremated.
E Kettle, Health Services in the Northern Territory, 1991; personal communication.
ELLEN KETTLE, Vol 3.
SLADE, (TERESA) MERYL nee NICHOL (1918– ), nurse, was born in Tallangatta, Victoria on
27 February 1918, one of a family of five, four girls and one boy. Her parents, Douglas Joseph Nichol (of British
descent) and his wife Teresa Elizabeth (of German descent) were also born among the mountains of Tallangatta.
They were farmers and all Meryl’s siblings continued as farmers in the same beautiful country. The Nichol children
were educated at Cascade and on completion of the basic eight years schooling Meryl applied to train as a nurse at
the Royal Melbourne Hospital. She obtained her General Certificate in 1942. She was invited to remain on the staff
until 1945 when she then undertook the one-year Midwifery Certificate course at the Royal Hospital for Women
in Melbourne.
Meryl Nichol was appointed to the staff of Darwin Hospital and arrived by air on 2 May 1949. She worked
in the Men’s Surgical Ward for two months before filling the vacancy of Aerial Medical Sister in July that year.
She was particularly blessed as she was never airsick in spite of small aircraft and wet season turbulence. Staff
accommodation was very limited until the new Sisters’ Home in Lambell Terrace was opened in February 1952.
Meryl Nichol was one of the first three to live in the new building but it was not luxury as there were no shutters
and the whole building was awash following wet season storms.
The work with the Aerial Medical Service was strenuous; the small aeroplanes were slow, noisy and not
pressurised. Many times both the pilot and nurse had to stay overnight at isolated missions or cattle stations and set
out for Darwin at daylight. When a patient’s life was in danger, they made the return flight at night without radio or
adequate instruments. One such flight was made when Roger Jose at Borroloola swallowed a kangaroo bone and
was choking. It was just on dark when the aircraft arrived and Sister Nichol assessed the urgency; a flare was lit at
the end of the airstrip for take-off. The night was cloudy and without a moon and it was Sister Nichol who noticed