Wallaby Route

The Wallaby Route or "Wallaby Service" is a term coined by Qantas (formerly Qantas Empire Airways), referring to the commercial passenger air route between Australia and South Africa.

First flown in 1948, its name was inspired by the route's short ‘hops’ used to cover the long distance, similar to the hops of the wallaby; a marsupial largely endemic to, and culturally associated, with Australia. The name "Wallaby Route" for their new Australia-South Africa service was chosen by Qantas Empire Airways after considering hundreds of suggested titles. The chosen name of "Wallaby" was suggested by Major-General Christoffel 'Boetie' Venter, then manager of South African Airways. The name choice was also to indicate its relationship to Qantas' famous "Kangaroo Route" connecting Australia and the United Kingdom.