Background
Shand was born in Drummoyne in Sydney to accountant James Shand (later a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly) and Ann, née Donald.
chairman of East founder of East
Shand was born in Drummoyne in Sydney to accountant James Shand (later a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly) and Ann, née Donald.
Shand attended Epping Public, Cleveland Street Intermediate High and Burwood Commercial schools, and studied at Sydney Technical College while employed by a wool firm.
He worked on properties near Armidale before becoming a wool and skin buyer. They settled near Armidale at Woodville, a 4000-acre property. Shand converted the heavily wooded area of his property into agricultural land, selling wood to Armidale residents, and managed to survive the Great Depression by long and hard work.
His reputation grew and by 1939 he was known for cultivation of soy beans, peas, chrysanthemums (for pyrethrum) and opium poppies (for morphine).
He ran as one of several Country Party candidates for the House of Representatives seat of New England in 1940 and 1949, but was not successful. During World World War II he organised mass production of primary products by co-operating with other landholders and using women to work the land.
In 1947 Shand became the founding chairman of East-West Airlines, which flew between Tamworth and Sydney, as well as other routes. The airline was also used for agricultural purposes, spreading superphosphate, seeding and crop dusting, for example.
Transport-Australian Airlines was a related company, but Shand resisted pressure from the Commonwealth Government and Senator Shane Paltridge to accept a takeover from Ansett.
Routes to Maroochydore and Alice Springs were added in the early 1970s. Shand had been appointed to a new crops advisory body by the government during World World War II, and by smuggling grains of hybrid maize from the United States he expanded on Australia"s existing commercial industry. He died at Woodville in 1976 and was cremated.