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Auction: 25111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 668

(x) The fine M.B.E. group of five awarded to Captain G. F. G. Lee, 2/163 General Transport Company, Australian Military Forces who received both the M.B.E. and O.A.M. for services to the community as well as a post-war 'mention'

Lee, a leading businessman in Muttaburra, Queensland owned and managed Somerset Garage and Somerset Airways. At the age of 86, Lee had the distinction of being selected as a torch relay bearer at the 2000 Sydney Olympics

The Most Excellent Order of The British Empire, Civil Division, Member's (M.B.E.) breast Badge, 2nd Type; 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf, Australian Service Medal 1939-45, very fine (6)

[OAM] Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 26 January 1995:

'for service to veterans and the community'.

M.B.E. London Gazette 28 December 1973:

'for services to the community of Muttaburra'.

M.I.D. London Gazette 6 March 1947:

'for exceptional service in the field in S.W.P. area'.

Gordon Falconer Gearing Lee was born at Toowoomba, Queensland on 9 November 1913, son of Leonard George Lee and Doris Falconer Sellars and received his senior school education at the Anglican Church Grammar School, Brisbane, he subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

Lee enlisted in the Australian Army at Wooloowin on 5 February 1942. He served with the 2/163 General Transport Company initially at home before being posted to New Guinea on 25 July 1945 serving there until 5 November 1945, he was discharged from the army on 28 November 1945.

The war over an enterprising Lee went to Muttaburra where he formed the Somerset Garage and Somerset Agencies to take over as Managing partner of the transport business and mail contracts in the local area.

The mail runs proved interesting. There were no graded roads in the area after the war and virtually no machinery. After the wet season the carriers chose the driest track and that became the 'road' for the year. As well as having the Longreach Mail Run (twice weekly £10 a year), Gordon had a weekly run to Prairie. This trip, which went through North Crusoe and back to the main road at Thornton, had 47 gates, which took over 2 hours per trip to open and close.

Among the agencies carried by the Somerset Enterprises were that of the Land Rover, which was growing in popularity with the pastoralists, Armstrong Siddeley Motors, a franchise that covered the whole of Northern Queensland from Maryborough to Cairns and West to the Territory border, excluding Blackall, and Volkswagen. During the Volkswagen Dealership, Gordon Lee employed 11 mechanics, 3 electricians, 3 salesmen, a storeman, a bookkeeper and a secretary, as well as operating a branch in Longreach.

Somerset Airways was born out of the record wet season of 1950. With the town marooned for 12 weeks, during which vehicles were able to get through on only 2 or 3 days, Gordon's wife had to get to Brisbane urgently and managed at length to get a grazier from near Julia Creek to land on the common and take her out. After that experience, she insisted that to stay in Muttaburra they had to have their own plane. There were problems, as the only way was to make it a charter service, and all charter planes had to be signed out by qualified personnel and checked every 30 flying hours. With the problems solved, the venture took off. The first pilot was Keith Galoway, who later became a senior captain with T.A.A., after two years it became obvious that another plane was needed. Captain Jesse Luxton flew a Praetor 5 from England but damaged it on Sunba Island, thereby missing a certain record for a light plane. He took it to Jakarta by barge, repaired it and then flew on to Longreach where the main office of Somerset Airways was opened.

After becoming a Public Company, with eight aircraft, this Muttaburra enterprise sold out to B.P.A. (Bush Pilots Airways) following a disagreement with Captain Luxton and the death of the Manager in the disastrous `King Air' crash west of Longreach while on a demonstration flight.

Lee writing in 'Muttaburra Saw Us' published in 1984 recalls,

'One of the great moments I remember in Muttaburra was when I had the honour, in the middle of the 17 years drought and after the awful 1960 credit squeeze, to chair a meeting with the Shire Chairman (Clr. Neill), U.G.A. President (Frank Keenan) and the Minister for Repatriation, representing the Primary Industries Minister. The Memorial Hall was packed and we had prepared and presented a case, which the Minister agreed, having that day-inspected drought-stricken properties, was irrefutable and totally convincing. We got some relief very quickly in the shape of cash grants which helped graziers to pay storekeepers (and garages), and all went in the end.

I could ramble on and on with reminiscences, but enough is enough. May I congratulate you on the positive and progressive attitude you have applied to your job there. It must be a tremendous help to the pupils at a time when there is so much variance over subjects, styles and methods - to have as instructor, someone with plenty of ideas and the ability to implement them.'

In 1972, Lee was hospitalised with a nervous breakdown with stress caused by the business difficulties afflicting the grazing industry. He remained in Muttaburra until 1974 when he moved to Bribie Island with his wife and reverted to being a tax agent.

In the 2000 Sydney Olympics Lee was selected as a torch bearer at the age of 86.

Further reading about the history of Somerset Airways and Gordon's involvement can be found at

https://bushpilotsairways.com.au/wp-content/publications/History-of-Somerset-Airways-Ron-Entsch.pdf

Lee died on 19 September 2014 in his centenary year; sold together with copied research and an unnamed Australian Service Medal 1945-75.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£210

Starting price
£210