One of Australia’s most famous aviators, Nancy Bird Walton, has died aged 93.
Born in the New South Wales north coast town of Kew in 1915, Bird Walton became the first female pilot to get her commercial pilot’s licence at the age of 19.
She wanted to fly from the age of four and she was taught to take the controls when she was just 17 by Charles Kingsford Smith.
She went on to pioneer an air ambulance service for outback New South Wales and was commandant of the Women’s Air Training Corps during World War II.
Bird Walton also founded the Australian Women Pilots’ Association and went on to be president for about 40 years.
In 1997, Bird Walton was named a Living National Treasure by the National Trust.
Last year Qantas named its first A380 jet in her honour.
She is survived by her daughter, her son, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Speaking to the ABC’s Peter Thomson in 2006, Bird Walton said she was thrilled by the exhilaration of flying.
“The freedom of the air. The freedom of flight,” she said on the Talking Heads program.
“And you completely remove yourself from the world. And you can voluntarily remove yourself from all those … everything that’s near and dear to you. And you voluntarily return.”
She said if her father had had his way, she would have followed in his footsteps and run the general store in the town of Mount George, New South Wales.
“He was a very hardworking man. He believed in working 16 hours a day. And he thought everybody else should,” she said.
“When I came down to visit mother, I went out to Mascot in 1930 and had a trial instruction flight with Captain Leggett.
“And that convinced me that that was what I wanted to do. So I bought myself a flying helmet and then I went back to the country to save up and grow up.”
By: steve rowell - 21st January 2009 at 23:09
I’m looking forward to The Amelia Earhart story coming out soon on the big screen …but i’m not sure Hilary Swank would be my first choice for the part
http://www.themovieblog.com/2008/02/hillary-swank-set-to-play-amelia-earhart-in-upcoming-biopic
By: atr42 - 18th January 2009 at 23:45
Steve, Thanks for letting us know, I’ve just logged in for the first time in days. She was a true pioneer.
I ended up finding out quite a bit about her when I was trying to find the original owner of an old helmet I have. Sadly she confirmed it wasn’t hers.
I haven’t read her books yet but I will some day.
For a woman to fly in the outback in her day was truly something special never mind her other flights around the globe.
Some ladies these days think completing with men means having attitude and having it all on show. They could do with taking a lesson from Nancy. Beating the men means just going out there and doing it better.
Nancy was one of the few, and one of the first, women from the southern hemisphere and the UK who in the 1930’s acheived things most women would take another 50 years to start acheiving. She was also, I believe, the last of her generation.
RIP Nancy. Your country knows what you did. I hope the rest of the world comes to learn what you did not just for aviation but for women as well.
By: Ren Frew - 16th January 2009 at 13:27
Would John & Hugh Boyle (chaps who started Zoom Airlines!) count at all; they were Scottish if my memory serves me correctly, but they are still alive and kicking, or are we just talking about people that are no longer with us when we talk about ‘pioneers’…?
I was thinking more of the likes of William Beardmore and Percy Pilcher, but yes the Boyle’s may get a look in too, in the grand story of Scottish Aviation. Round these here parts of course, John Boyle is better known as the travel agent who became the chairman of Motherwell Football Club…;)
By: cloud_9 - 16th January 2009 at 13:10
I only heard of her a few weeks ago after Qantas named an A380 in her honour. At least she got to see that, good on her!
Must be honest and agree with Ren Frew on this one…I’ve never heard of her!:(:o
Now then, I could go on about the Scottish aviation pioneers, but I doubt it would raise much of a response either… 😉
Would John & Hugh Boyle (chaps who started Zoom Airlines!) count at all; they were Scottish if my memory serves me correctly, but they are still alive and kicking, or are we just talking about people that are no longer with us when we talk about ‘pioneers’…?
I’m sure there’s people here who think ‘Aviatrix’ is a little cartoon Gaul who goes around drinking magic potion and beating up unsuspecting Romans…;):D
You mean to say all this time I was lead to believe this was the case and in turns out its all lies…damn you Ren Frew(:mad:, in a joking sense!).:rolleyes::D:diablo:
By: steve rowell - 16th January 2009 at 01:53
I don’t know whether it’s available in Britain …but if you can get a hold of a copy of her book it’s fascinating reading!!!
By: steve rowell - 15th January 2009 at 06:10
By: Ren Frew - 15th January 2009 at 00:40
Allen..i would think anyone who knows anything about pioneer aviation knows of Nancy Bird…along with Amelia Earhart they were the most famous Aviatrix’s of pioneer aviation…i’m probably showing my age and perhaps i should have posted in historical
You could be correct Steve, I’m sure there’s people here who think ‘Aviatrix’ is a little cartoon Gaul who goes around drinking magic potion and beating up unsuspecting Romans…;):D
By: steve rowell - 14th January 2009 at 23:17
Steady on old son, she was never that well publicised up here. I only heard of her a few weeks ago after Qantas named an A380 in her honour. At least she got to see that, good on her !
Now then, I could go on about the Scottish aviation pioneers, but I doubt it would raise much of a response either… 😉
Allen..i would think anyone who knows anything about pioneer aviation knows of Nancy Bird…along with Amelia Earhart they were the most famous Aviatrix’s of pioneer aviation…i’m probably showing my age and perhaps i should have posted in historical
By: Ren Frew - 14th January 2009 at 19:08
I find it quite amusing that one of the most inspiring women of the 20th century passes and it doesn’t even get a response…yet a fish finger factory burns down and everyone’s concerned
Steady on old son, she was never that well publicised up here. I only heard of her a few weeks ago after Qantas named an A380 in her honour. At least she got to see that, good on her !
Now then, I could go on about the Scottish aviation pioneers, but I doubt it would raise much of a response either… 😉
By: steve rowell - 14th January 2009 at 10:41
I find it quite amusing that one of the most inspiring women of the 20th century passes and it doesn’t even get a response…yet a fish finger factory burns down and everyone’s concerned
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January 13, 2009 at 8:05 am