Australian National Travel Association

The Australian National Travel Association was formed in 1929 at the onset of the Great Depression by Sir Charles Lloyd Jones, merchant and patron of the arts, who became director of its board of management.

Prime Minister Stanley Bruce announced the formation of the national organisation on Wednesday 1 May 1929,[1] allocating £100,000, obtained mostly from tourist industries for Australian overseas publicity.

The organisation was put under the control of a committee of representatives of the principal contributing bodies, comprising Harold W. Clapp,[1] chairman of Victorian Railway Commissioners, D. I. Dowell, representing British and foreign shipping interests, C. W. Wilson, proprietor of Scott's Hotel, Melbourne, on behalf of Australian hotels, and C. Lloyd Jones,[2] of David Jones., Sydney, for Australia's general business interests.

[5] From its inception the Association marketed creatively, first commissioning posters featuring striking images and simple slogans from Australia's leading poster designers (some now iconic, like Trompf's Bondi Beach) including Percy Trompf, James Northfield[6] and Gert Sellheim to attract international tourists largely ignorant of Australia.

[7] Subsequently, in 1934, the ANTA board, under acting chairman Charles Lloyd Jones, established a monthly travel magazine Walkabout which continued publication until 1974.