Taking the hastle from "Matthews & Hassell", Does any one know about this firm?

[Brendan Cowan]

Hi Folks,

Batman and I are updating some of the RAAF Series one pages and note the the firm of Matthews & Hassell reconditioned several of the aircraft before AAC/AAF/RAAF serivce. We also know that some aircraft were re-conditioned at Essendon.

We suspected Matthews & Hassell were in Melbourne but did not know where - but strongly suspect Essendon may have been the place.

From Batman: Wikipedia says about Essendon:

"Originally the airport had grass runways with the first tenants moving in from December 1921, including J. H. Larkin, Captain Matthews, Bob Hart and Major Harry Shaw."

Now Larkin moved to Coode Island and established Larkin Aircraft Supply Co Ltd (LASCo).

I wouldn't mind betting that the "Capt Matthews" at Essendon (G C Matthews) set up Matthews & Hassell."


I have noticed that some of these names also feature as street names in and around the airport precinct:

Matthews Avenue (the main road outside Essendon Airport)
Hart Street
Larkin Street
Larkin Ct

Can any one shed any light on the firm of Matthews & Hassell and their location?


Batman & Brendan
(The dynamic duo?) :rolleyes:

[Brendan Cowan]

Another set of snippets that I've dug up overnight:

According to Neville Parnell & Trevor Broughtons' book "Flypast" (AGPS 1988):

1) In 1919, Capt. G.C. Matthews joined Capt. Herbert. J. Larkin. DFC in the establishment of the Larkin-Sopwith Aviation Company of Australasia Ltd.

2) Matthews won the first NSE Aerial Derby on 27/11/20 in a Sopwith Gnu.

3) Participates in the 26-12-20 Victorian Aerial Derby at Epson Racecourse, again in the Gnu.

4) 22-09-22, Matthews is working with or for Larkin and arrives in Sydney to survey landing grounds for the proposd Air Mail routes.

5) 05/11/23 Matthews is operating DH-9c G-AUED between Longreach and Charleville for Q.A.N.T.A.S.

The trail goes cold for this crucial period!

6) 06/03/29 Matthews is announced as De Havilland's agent in Victoria

7) His company name (based at Essendon!) in May 1931 is by now "Matthews Aviation" and operates services from Melbourne to Tasmania.

8) There are many other subsequent references to Matthews up to 1936.

I can find nothing about Mr Hassell at this point. My absolute guess is that he may have been the financial partner in the arrangment - but that is a wild guess on my part.

Let's see if that sparks any further thoughts from anybody.

Cheers

BC

[batman]

Aircraft Reconditioning

Hi Brendan, I too had referred to "Flypast" and the other authoritative likely suspects - hopefully this is of interest to lovers of old aeroplanes!

"These Are Facts" (Williams), "History of Australian Aviation" (Brogden), "Wirraway to Hornet" (Hill) - No mention of Hassell.

I though I had read of Williams saying that they purposedly distributed the recondition contracts around to establish the base for an aviation industry, but cannot find that reference in "These Are Facts".

Companies involved were:
Larkin Aircraft Supply Co (LASCo), Coode Island, Melbourne
Pratt Bros, Geelong, Vic
Mort's Dock & Engineering Co Ltd, Balmain, Sydney
RAAF Experimental Section, Randwick, Sydney
....and Matthews & Hassell (probably Melbourne).

Also the 1 FTS Workshops at PCK did some reconditioning.

While some aviation was occurring at Port Melbourne in the 1920s, G C Matthew's activity at Essendon probably does suggest being tied to there.

Any thoughts?

[Brendan Cowan]

Thanks Batman,

My complete and utter guess - is that Hassell may have been a financial partner with Matthews, but as I say - it is just a guess.

The circumstances all point to Matthews being situated at Essendon and he was certainly there by the late 20's and early to mid 30's.

My grandparents lived in Pascoe Vale, very close to Essendon (always referred to as "the drome" in those days) and looking out from their back yard at the aircraft landing (almost overhead) most weekends of my young life is probably one of the things that got me hooked on aviation in the first place.

They told me me about visiting an aircraft known to them only as the "Cutty Sark" on one of their many walks across the paddocks to the drome when they were courting in the mid to late 30's.

I now know that aircraft to be the Matthews Aviation Saro Windhover VH-UPB, so it is very likely that they met the man himself at Essendon on one or two of their outings!

Brendan

[Rod Farquhar]

Brendan/Batman,
I checked the index in the book "Charles Kinsford Smith and Those Magnificent Men"

The only name that turned up was Capt George C (Skippy)Mathews, he is mentioned once during the war years and then later Sep/Oct 1930 when he had departed England for Australia trying to beat the record.
Although he had left before Smithy he broke down in Rangoon and Smithy went on to win the prize.
Not much but it fills in one year.
Rod.

[batman]

Thanks Rod,

The "missing years" are 1925-1926 when reconditioning of the Imperial Gift aircraft were going out to civilian contractors for reconditioning. There is mention of G C Matthews before this (working with Larkin 1922), and after this, being appointed as DH rep to Victoria in 1929.

Matthews & Hassell reconditioned D.H.9s and D.H.9As. I have found reference to this outsourcing with Matthews & Hassell, and also in Essendon with no mention of a company. We suspect Matthews and Hassell were at Essendon.

I can find no reference to the elusive Mr Hassell at all in any of the aviation texts or on the web. Perhaps, a financing business partner for Capt G C Matthews?

[Brendan Cowan]

Thanks Rod,

That helps build the picture a bit more and the "Skippy" nickname is new info!

:D

BC