Damian Miller (aviator)
Ronald Nevill Damian Miller | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | May 20, 1990 (aged 75) |
| Occupation(s) | Aviator, cattle station owner |
| Known for | Founding Connellan Airways; establishing Argadargada and Hamilton Downs Stations |
Ronald Nevill Damian Miller (10 February 1915 – 20 May 1990), commonly referred to as Damian Miller, was an Australian aviator and cattle station owner based in Alice Springs. He played a pivotal role in founding Connellan Airways and was instrumental in establishing both Argadargada and Hamilton Downs Stations.
Early life
Miller was born in 1915 in Melbourne, Victoria, to parents Septimus and Helen Miller. During his education at Xavier College, he formed a friendship with Sam Calder. Following his schooling, Miller met Edward Connellan, who facilitated his introduction to Calder.
When World War II began, Miller and Calder enlisted in the RAAF, though initially they assisted Connellan in launching Connellan Airways. Miller secured financial backing through a loan guaranteed by his affluent grandfather, Henry Miller. He also contributed to the construction of the airline’s hangar, airstrips, and flight routes.
World War II
At the start of the conflict, Miller worked as a flight instructor before being assigned to a Catalina squadron operating in the Top End. A notable incident involved him flying for 11 hours on a single engine after his plane sustained heavy damage from Japanese fire near Kavieng, Papua New Guinea. Despite malfunctioning navigation equipment and adverse weather conditions over hostile territory, he successfully completed the mission. This act of valor earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Life in the Northern Territory
Following the war, Miller returned to Alice Springs to collaborate with Connellan, undertaking mail runs to Wyndham. In 1947, during a visit to England to purchase two Rapide aircraft, he married Anne Fletcher in Yeovil, Somerset. Together, they piloted the planes back to Alice Springs under challenging circumstances including limited refueling options and absence of radio communication, arriving on 6 May 1948.
In 1951, Miller partnered with Milton Willick to establish Argadargada Station northeast of Alice Springs. The station encountered difficulties such as the loss of approximately 1,300 cattle due to gidgee poisoning between 1953 and 1954. In 1954, Calder joined as manager before the property was sold in 1964. Additionally, Miller acquired a stake in Hamilton Downs Station in 1952 and became sole proprietor by 1968. In 1972, he gifted the original Hamilton Downs homestead site to the Apex Club of Central Australia, which transformed it into Hamilton Downs Youth Camp; this facility officially opened in 1978.
Miller died in 1990 after an extended illness and was interred at Alice Springs Garden Cemetery. He left behind his wife and four children: Helen, Andrew, Jacinta, and Paul.
Legacy
The Central Australian Aviation Museum includes a dedicated Damian Miller Room. Additionally, Miller Road in Alice Springs bears his name as a tribute.