Dennis Buchanan

Sir Ronald "Dennis" Buchanan (1932–2001) was the owner of several airlines in Oceania, most notably Talair in Papua New Guinea (PNG). He was also a publisher and served one term in the country's pre-Independence National Assembly.

Early life Buchanan was born on 6 November 1932 in Sydney, Australia, being the second-youngest of nine children of Brisbane and Jessie Buchanan. His mother died when he was six years old. In early 1942, he and Lilla, his youngest sister, were sent to live with their uncle on a dairy farm in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, attending a one-teacher school with about one dozen pupils. At the end of 1943, he returned to Sydney to complete his primary education, living with a family friend. His father then enrolled him at All Saints' College, Bathurst, a boarding school where he obtained an Intermediate Certificate in 1948.

In addition to buying planes, Buchanan purchased several existing air companies in PNG, including Sepik Air Charters (in 1972); Melanesian Air Charters (1975); Panga Airways (1977); Cloudlands Aviation (1986); and Co-Air (1987). In 1968 he established Talco, in order to promote PNG tourism, transport workers to plantations on the islands of New Britain and New Ireland, and to conduct aerial spraying. In 1981, he opened Talair (Australia), running a charter operation based in Cairns, Queensland. He also expanded into other South Pacific nations, including owning and operating Solair in the Solomon Islands and Air Melanesie in Vanuatu. In 1983, Buchanan signed a contract with Aerolift Philippines. He further expanded his involvement in the Philippines and also operated an airline in Tonga. Flight West Airlines mainly concentrated on government-subsidised flights to remote areas. Once again, he built up a substantial airline which, by the late 1990s, was carrying 400,000+ passengers per year, employing more than 400 people, with 16 planes, and flying to 34 destinations in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Norfolk Island. In 2001, Buchanan, put Flight West into voluntary administration, ceasing trading while still solvent in order that staff redundancy payments could be guaranteed.

Political career Buchanan served one term in the pre-Independence Papua New Guinea House of Assembly from 1968, representing the conservative Unite Party. He made no formal speeches but his interjections in the speeches of others became famous.

Publisher Buchanan became the owner of the daily Niugini News newspaper. This was closed down at the same time as he closed Talair in 1993.

Death Buchanan died from acute myeloid leukemia on 29 August 2001 in Brisbane. He was buried in the graveyard at St Matthews Anglican Church at Baerami NSW. He was survived by his wife, Della Brown, and their nine children. Unlike many Australians living in Papua New Guinea he had never taken on the nationality of that country.

Awards and honours Buchanan was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1976 Queen's Birthday Honours List, for services to aviation and tourism. In 1991 New Year Honours, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his services to civil aviation in Papua New Guinea.