Victor Roffey

Frederick Victor Roffey (4 October 1908 - 22 September 1993) was an Australian aviator, best known for being the first person to fly from New Caledonia to Australia.

Roffey successfully completed the crossing at the age of 23 on 21 November 1931 in a de Havilland Gipsy Moth biplane called The Golden Eagle in which he flew from Ouaco to Rockhampton, via Marlborough, in just under 12 hours. In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Caledonia was visited by 130,000 tourists.

Early life Roffey was born in Bundaberg, Queensland to parents Nathaniel Frederick Roffey and Alice Roffey (née Clark) on 4 October 1908.

Victor Roffey was one of Nathaniel and Alice Roffey's six children, three of whom died as infants. He was educated at Bundaberg Grammar School. In 1923, the family purchased a pastoral property called "Melbadale" in the rural locality of Goowarra, near the township of Dingo, west of Rockhampton.

Learning to fly Harold Fraser and Victor Roffey, 1931The Rockhampton Aero Club was officially opened on 2 March 1930 which was followed by the official opening of the Connor Park Aerodrome on 15 March 1930. The Rockhampton Aero Club held their first full-scale pageant on 23 August 1930 which was where Roffey's love of aviation was borne after paying to be taken up on a joy flight.

Described in the local press as an "unsophisticated bush lad", Roffey commenced flying lessons on 10 January 1931 with Harold Livingstone Fraser who had established a flying school at Connor Park.

Roffey purchased his Gipsy Moth aircraft for £1000 through Rockhampton Aerial Services with a condition Fraser give Roffey 12 hours of flying lessons.

In preparation, Roffey's plane was shipped over to New Caledonia where Roffey arrived in June 1931 to commence many hours of practice flying, during which he crashed the aircraft, which needed to be repaired.

Roffey's planned trip between New Caledonia to Australia was postponed a number of times, including to allow additional petrol tanks to be fitted to the aircraft which would enable Roffey to complete the long journey.

The Shell Oil Company was heavily involved with Roffey's endeavour to be the first to fly from New Caledonia to Australia, communicating with the press on Roffey's behalf and providing Roffey with Shell products to use during his trip. In what was likely a form of embedded marketing, the Shell brand was mentioned numerous times in newspaper articles. After his journey, a newspaper photo was also published with Roffey standing in front of his plane beside a Shell logo. Roffey's plane was carrying 850lbs including 72 gallons of fuel. Also on board were three bottles of French Clicquot champagne and a freshly picked bouquet of flowers which was handed to him by a local woman prior to taking off.

According to Roffey, he experienced relatively clear weather for the first few hours of his flight with the exception of a light shower, 90 miles after departure.

Roffey described the flight from Marlborough to Rockhampton as "uneventful" but it remained a proud moment when he stepped out of the plane at Connor Park at Rockhampton at 4:45pm, having finally completed his flight.

Civic receptions Roffey (far right) with family, friends and supporters at Goowarra, 1931A civic reception was held at Rockhampton's Wintergarden Theatre after Roffey's arrival. Roffey was introduced by state MP for Keppel Owen Daniel who also read a message of congratulations from Sir John Goodwin, the Governor of Queensland. Roffey flew from "Melbadale" to Dingo with his father as a passenger to attend the reception. Despite this, his fellow members from the Dingo Cricket Club hoisted him up on their shoulders and took him to the Dingo Hall where the civic reception was being held. Following the conclusion of the council meeting, the councillors proceeded to the Duaringa Hotel where they raised a toast to Roffey before a public reception for Roffey was held in Fletcher's Hall at 8pm.

Customs and quarantine breaches Entering Australia without a pratique, and bringing three bottles of French champagne and hand-picked flowers into the country drew the ire of customs and quarantine officials.

The Collector of Customs warned Roffey that if he wanted to keep the champagne, he was required to pay duty at a rate of 57 shillings per gallon.

Roffey was fined £1 and ordered to pay 3s/6d and £2/2s/0d in court and professional costs. As Federal MP for Capricornia, Frank Forde also attended the ceremony and congratulated Roffey for his achievement.

It's yet unknown whether any events are planned for the 100th anniversary of Roffey's flight either in Australia or New Caledonia in 2031.

1933 incident In May 1933, Roffey was involved in an incident where one of the wheels from his aircraft fell off as he took off from Bluff. Spectators on the ground successfully warned Roffey of the danger by holding the wheel up in the air.

Personal life Roffey with his mother Alice Roffey, father Nathaniel Frederick Roffey and sister Melba Laver, 1931In 1937, the engagement was announced between Roffey and Dorothy Clark. They had four children - Victor, Lance, Dale and Alan.

Roffey was an uncle to Australian tennis great Rod Laver. While Roffey was preparing for his historic flight from New Caledonia to Australia, his sister Melba Roffey married Roy Laver. Melba and Roy Laver had four children, one of whom was Rod Laver born in 1938.

In Rod Laver's 2013 memoir, a young Rod Laver and Roffey's son Victor are pictured in a family photo standing in front of the "family rattletrap" as the cousins prepared to travel to Brisbane so Laver could compete in his first junior tennis titles. In the same memoir, Roffey's mother (and Laver's grandmother) Alice Roffey is remembered fondly by Laver as an active woman who was still able to ride horses up until her death. He pleaded guilty and was fined £5/10s/- (and 6s/- in costs) for driving a motor car at a speed greater than 30 miles per hour.

Roffey's father Nathaniel died at the age of 85 in 1946 and was buried in the North Rockhampton Cemetery. Alice Roffey sold "Melbadale" in 1954 and relocated to Springsure to reside with her son George. She died at the age of 82 in 1967 and was buried in the Springsure Cemetery.

Victor Roffey died on 22 September 1993 at the age of 85 and was also buried in Springsure.