Nancy-Bird Walton Dies

On the 13th of January, Australia’s legendary pioneer aviator Nancy-Bird Walton died at the age of 93. She was widely acknowledged to have “paved the way into the sky” for innumerable Australian women.

After beginning flying lessons in 1933 (at the age of 18) and becoming the youngest woman in Australia to achieve a pilot’s licence, Nancy-Bird Walton achieved her commercial pilot’s licence by the age of 19 and was the first woman in Australia to operate a commercial aircraft.

Her commercial flying career began with sightseeing flights in a Gipsy Moth biplane. Soon after beginning her flightseeing business, Walton started up an air ambulance service, using her own aircraft, to serve communities in the Outback region of New South Wales. That operation—the Far West Children’s Health Scheme—served areas that were not covered by Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service. Walton’s work with the air ambulance earned her the nickname “Angel of the Outback.”

In 1936, she won the “Ladies’ Trophy” in an air race between Adelaide and Brisbane.

During WWII, Walton assisted in training women to “back up” the men flying in the RAAF.

In 1950, she founded the Australian Women Pilots’ Association and remained its president for five years. She subsequently became Patron of AWPA in 1983 after the death of Lady Casey, the original Patron. Impressively, Walton was never involved in an accident, despite the risks of early aviation.

Walton was named a Living National Treasure by the National Trust of Australia in 1997; in 2003, Women in Aviation International selected her as one of the “100 Most Influential Women in Aviation” throughout the world.

Qantas recently named the first of its new A380s in Nancy-Bird Walton’s honour. During the delivery ceremony of that aircraft in September 2008, Walton explained how, on her 90th birthday, Qantas had asked if it could name the new aircraft after her. At that time—and echoing the kind of determination she exhibited throughout her extraordinary life—she said she had made it her decision to stay alive for the ceremony.

Throughout her life, Walton was notable for her support of charities and people in need. In recognition of her generous spirit, she was invested as an Officer of Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1966. She was later appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Walton is survived by two children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.