Born Wallace Malcolm Shannon on 16 August 1925 at the Loxton District Hospital in South Australia, local man ‘Mal’, as his friends and family call him, has witnessed a century of extraordinary change.
Growing up in the countryside, Mal said his childhood was quiet and isolated but filled with adventure. With his dog Belle by his side, he spent hours exploring the land around him.
“We used to go exploring and looking for birds’ eggs,” Mal said.
“I had a collection, from sparrows’ eggs to a magpie’s egg, but I used to look up at the wedge-tail eagles’ nest and wish I could climb that high to get its egg.”
Mal joined the Air Force on his 18th birthday in 1943 and trained as a fighter pilot. What followed was a long and impressive career in aviation.
He began transporting passengers and luggage in Broken Hill for Australian National Airways, then became one of South Australia’s earliest crop dusters.
Mal went on to work as a flight instructor with the South Australian Aero Club, flew for Qantas in New Guinea from 1951, and later worked with Mandated Airlines. He finished his flying career with Ansett, retiring early after nine more years in the sky.
A Century of Flight, Family, and Reflection
In 1974, Mal moved to Queensland, which he has proudly called home for the past 51 years.
One of Mal’s proudest moments came during his time in the Air Force.
“When our names were being read out with the category selection board, they called out my name, and instead of saying ‘Sir,’ I said ‘Pilot,’ and he said ‘Correct.’”
Now, as he celebrates 100 years, Mal’s remarkable life is being documented by his daughter, Michele, who is writing a book on his life story.
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- What the Brisbane Budget Means for Chermside
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