MACROBERTSON MILLER AIRLINES - MMA 

Perth-based MMA began flying airline services in Western Australia in 1934 with DH.84 Dragons.
The airline was founded by Captain Horrie Miller with financial backing from Melbourne businessman Sir Macpherson Robertson.
MMA's trunk route was 4,200 Km Perth-Darwin, stopping at numerous coastal towns and outback properties, in addition to a
network of airline services across vast areas of northern WA.  Ansett Transport Industries purchased a controlling interest in 1963
and took over MMA in 1969 when their aircraft were repainted in the Ansett red/white & black scheme.  

The name MMA disappeared in 1981 when the airline was renamed Airlines of Western Australia

MMA's eight DC-3s operated in metallic finish to help reflect the high temperatures of outback WA.
They were retired during 1969 and sold. Here's VH-MMM RMA Murchison at Perth in July 1968

VH-MMT RMA Turner operating one of the final DC-3 services to Mount Tom Price WA during 1969. 
                             This DC-3 was sold to Indonesia later that year.                                                         Photo by Barry Tate                                                                                      

No sooner had MMA disposed of its DC-3s, freight demand picked up. Ansett sent two DC-3 freighters VH-ANX & -ANZ
from Melbourne storage to Perth. VH-ANX is seen on arrival 3 March 1970 in the old Ansett-ANA Cargoliner paintwork

By November 1970, VH-ANZ & ANZ were painted in the Ansett Airlines of Australia style MMA scheme

VH-ANZ was delivered to Perth from Essendon on 8 March 1970 and quickly painted into MMA scheme

Merv Prime caught VH-ANZ about to depart Perth in January 1971, after disposal to Australian Aircraft Sales.
It ended up in Cambodia and was reportedly destroyed by a rocket attack on Phom Penh Airport in February 1975

Piaggio P.166 VH-MMP Pilbara was used specifically for charter, mostly in support of mining in the Pilbara region of northern WA
It departed Perth in October 1969 transferred to Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea but went u/s on delivery and was sold

Fokker F.27 VH-MMV RMA Victoria at Perth in November 1969, in the original MMA Jetstream Service scheme

VH-MMS RMA Swan at Perth also in November 1969, just prior to the MMA F.27 fleet being repainted into Ansett scheme

Here's VH-MMS in May 1971 arriving at Geraldton WA, now in Ansett red, white & black colours.
The MMA F.27 aircraft names based on WA rivers were dropped under Ansett management

VH-FNU was loaned to MMA by Ansett for several periods during the 1970s.
Seen at Perth in March 1972,  retaining Ansett Airlines of Australia on the fuselage at the passenger door

F.27 VH-MMB at Perth Airport in March 1971.  It was sold to East West Airlines when replaced by new F.28 Fellowships

VH-MMB with East West Airlines, at Albury NSW on a foggy morning in June 1972

To boost MMA seat capacity during the iron ore mining boom, Ansett sent Viscount 700s VH-RMO RMA Oakover followed by
VH-RMQ RMA Quininup during 1968.  However the MMA Viscount era came to a tragic end on New Years Eve that year
when VH-RMQ crashed on descent to Port Hedland due to a wing structural failure, with the loss of all 26 on board

The Viscounts were a stop-gap until the Fokker F.28 Fellowships ordered by MMA
First was VH-MMJ RMA Pilbara which was delivered to Perth in August 1969 on loan from Fokker for 10 months

VH-FKA was the first new production Fellowship ordered by MMA, delivered in June 1970 and named RMA Pilbara II

VH-FKB was the next Fellowship delivered, RMA Kimberley.  Seen at Paraburdoo WA in August 1976

MMA flew Fellowships VH-FKA to VH-FKF inclusive. After the change to Airlines of WA in 1981, aditional F.28s were used.
Here's VH-FKE RMA Gascoyne at Perth in May 1979

DHC-6 Twin Otters were used on MMA local services in the north of WA. 
Twin Otter 100 VH-MMY RMA Yampi was photographed at Paraburdoo in October 1971

Twin Otter 300 VH-PGU seen at Paraburdoo in June 1972

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