▁April ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁left ▁the ▁Council ▁to ▁become ▁General ▁Manager ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁Broadcast ing ▁Commission ) ▁are ▁also ▁candidates ▁for ▁that ▁honour . ▁Melbourne ▁based ▁ch oc olate ▁manufact urer ▁Sir ▁Mac ph erson ▁Robert son , ▁known ▁as ▁" the ▁ch oc olate ▁king " ▁spons ored ▁the ▁event ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁the ▁feas ibility ▁of ▁a ▁scheduled ▁air ▁service ▁between ▁Europe ▁and ▁Australia . ▁Sir ▁Mac ph erson ▁Robert son ▁offered ▁fifteen ▁thousand ▁pounds ▁prize ▁money ▁and ▁a ▁gold ▁tro phy , ▁and ▁the ▁race ▁attract ed ▁over ▁ 7 0 ▁entries , ▁of ▁which ▁ 6 4 ▁were ▁allocated ▁race ▁numbers . ▁A ▁wh itt ling ▁down ▁of ▁entr ants ▁to ▁the ▁more ▁serious ▁compet itors ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁final ▁ 2 0 ▁aircraft ▁from ▁Australia , ▁Australia - New ▁Guinea , ▁United ▁States , ▁Britain , ▁E ire , ▁Den mark , ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁making ▁the ▁starting ▁line . ▁The ▁rac ers ▁took ▁off ▁from ▁the ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁M ild en hall ▁Aer od rome , ▁ 7 0 ▁miles ▁north ▁of ▁London . ▁ ▁The ▁race ▁started ▁at ▁ 6 : 3 0   a . m . ▁on ▁Sunday ▁ 2 0 ▁October ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁with ▁aer op lan es ▁leaving ▁at ▁ 4 5 - second ▁intervals . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁unusual ▁entries ▁was ▁a ▁Douglas ▁DC - 2 ▁entered ▁by ▁K LM ▁Royal ▁Dutch ▁Airlines . ▁It ▁was ▁registered ▁P H - A J