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- HIGH
FLYERS:
- Australia’s
women pioneers of aviation
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- Reputedly
the first woman in Australia to fly was the country’s first
female architect Florence Taylor, who took off on 5 December 1909
from the Narrabeen sandhills near Sydney in a glider built by
her husband George.
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- The
first woman to obtain her pilot’s licence was Millicent Bryant
in 1927 while 2 years later Bobby Terry became the first woman
in Australia to own her own aircraft. The first female Australian
air passenger is said to be Jessie ("Chubbie") Miller when she
accompanied Captain Bill Lancaster in a flight from the UK in
1928.
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- During
the 1930's, Lores Bonney became the first woman to fly around
Australia, to fly solo from Australia to England, and to fly solo
from Australia to South Africa. Freda Thompson was the first Australian
woman to fly solo from England to Australia. Irene Dean-Williams,
the first WA woman to own an aircraft and gain her commercial
pilot’s licence, was also the first woman to fly a solo return
trip from Perth to Sydney.
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- The
first Ladies’ Flying Tour in Australia was organized by Nancy
Bird in 1935 and three years later the Women’s Flying Club
was formed culminating in the formation of the Australian Women
Pilot’s Association (AWPA) in 1950.
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- During
the Second World War, the Women’s Air Training Corps was
created with a branch in every state developing into the first
women’s service in Australia - the Women’s Auxiliary
Australian Air Force, established 5 March 1941.
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- In
1949 Margaret Clarke was appointed the first woman crop-duster
and aerial spraying pilot but was only paid as an unskilled worker
because no wage had been set for women at that time. In 1960 Olga
Tarling was appointed Australia's first woman air traffic controller
at Brisbane airport. Rosemary
Arnold-Harris became Australia’s first female commercial
helicopter pilot in 1967; Ruth Wilson, the first female pilot
to own and operate her own hot-air balloon in 1976 and Kath Meyering
the first woman to fly an ultralight in 1982.
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- However,
women’s crowning achievement in the skies was the appointment
of the first woman passenger airline pilot, Christine Davy in
1974, and Deborah Wardley becoming the first woman to fly for
a major commercial airline (Ansett) in 1980 after a battle with
the Equal Opportunities Commission. The
1980's also saw Mary O'Brien achieve the highest aviation appointment
given to a woman when made Examiner of Airmen in 1987 and the
following year the first women graduated from the RAAF.
In 1992 Sharelle Quinn became Australia’s first woman international
captain when appointed by Qantas airlines.
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- In
1995 Adelaide hosted the first international conference for women
in aviation to be held in Australia.
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- Some
first women aviators in
Australia...
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 - By
permission of the National Library of
Australia
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- LORES
BONNEY (1897-1994)
- The
first woman to complete a round-Australia flight
in 1932, a year later she achieved the first
Australia to England solo flight by a woman and
in 1937 was the first woman to fly solo from
Australia to South Africa.
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 - Courtesy
of Freda Thompson’s sister, Mrs Claire
Embling
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- FREDA
THOMPSON (1906-1980)
- Pictured
here in 1934 just before take off at Lympne
Airport when she became the first Australian
woman to fly solo from England to Australia, she
was also the first female flying instructor in
Australia and the British Empire, gaining her
Instructor’s Rating in 1933.
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 - Courtesy
of Nancy Bird Walton
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- NANCY
BIRD (b1915)
- In
1935 she was employed by Far West Children’s Health Scheme
to operate her aircraft as an Aerial Ambulance & Baby Clinic
becoming the first woman engaged in commercial aviation in Australia.
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 - The
Age
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- ROBYN
WILLIAMS & DEBORAH HICKS
- Flight
Lieutenant Williams and Flying Cadet Hicks were the first female
pilots to graduate from the Royal Australian Air Force on 30 June
1988. Only 18 graduated out of 34 candidates including 4 women,
Robyn being dux of the course.
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- Some
first women airline crew in
Australia...
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 - Photograph
courtesy of the State Library of South
Australia
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- MARGUERITE
GRUEBER
- Originally
from Tasmania, Australia’s first airhostess
was appointed by Australian National Airways to
work on their Adelaide-Perth service in
1936.
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 - Photograph
courtesy of the State Library of South
Australia
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- INEZ
HYNES
- South
Australia’s first airhostess was appointed
in 1938.
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 - Courtesy
of Reg Harris
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- CHRISTINE
DAVY (b1934)
- Appointed
Senior Captain with First Class Air Transport Licence for Alice
Springs-based Connair in 1974; she was the first woman pilot of
a passenger airline.
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 - The
Age
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- DEBORAH
WARDLEY
- The
first woman to fly for a major airline (Ansett),
she made her maiden commercial flight
co-piloting a Fokker Friendship from Alice
Springs to Darwin on 22 January
1980.
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