Extract date: 18/04/2024
| Name | Affleck |
|---|---|
| Type Designation | Road |
| Place Id | 22269 |
| Place Type | Road |
| Status | Registered |
| Date Registered | 21 March 2007 |
| Locality / Suburb | |
| Acacia Hills | |
| Local Government Area | |
| Litchfield Council | |
| History/Origin | Affleck Road is named in commemoration of Arthur Herbert Affleck (1903-1966) born in Melbourne. He learnt to fly in 1924 with the Civil Aviation Branch, Department of Defence at Point Cook. By 1925 he had his Commercial Pilot's Licence and in 1927 started flying with QANTAS in Longreach. Around 1928 he started flying in and out of the Territory on behalf of the Flying Doctor Service. He was the original pilot for the Flying Doctor Service. He married his English wife Alice (nee Buckley) in Camooweal and they were to have two sons. By 1934 he and his family were based in Perth, flying the Ord River, Daly Waters, Wave Hill, VRD run for Horrie Miller, the company eventually becoming named MacRobertson Miller Aviation Company. In April 1936 a Royal Australian Air Force Dragon Rapide aeroplane, with three men on board, went missing between Camooweal and Wave Hill station. Arthur was flying for the newly formed MacRobertson Miller Aviation Company when the Rapide went missing. Arthur and his aircraft then became part of the search. The Rapide pilot had been flying at tree top level enjoying a closer look at the country. 'After flying along at this nought level for quite a long time he lost himself and his common sense and crashed trying to land the aircraft in the first comparatively open space he saw', said Arthur. After being missing for eight days the aircraft was finally found and food and water were dropped to the men. Photographic records show that he spent a lot of his free time, when overnighting at VRD, out bush with stockmen. By 1941 Arthur had joined the Civil Aviation Branch and had been sent to New Guinea to assist with evacuations. In June 1942 Arthur was in Darwin. He, along with Mr Tarlton, officer-in-charge of Darwin airport inspected the QANTAS Empire Airways Ltd hanger at Fannie Bay to assess the War damage. He became the Regional Director of Civil Aviation for Papua New Guinea and retired in 1963 publishing his lively, anecdotal autobiography, "The Wandering Years" (Melbourne, 1964). He died of pulmonary embolism in September 1966 while cruising off Vancouver, Canada, in the liner Orsova. |
| Date | Gazettal | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 21/03/2007 | Added to Register | |
| 28/03/2007 | NTG13 |