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NANCY BIRD - WALTON
(1915 - )

Nancy Bird

Achievements

1930 Got flight license

1936 -   air race from Adelaide to Brisbane,  won the Ladies' Trophy.

 1950 -  founded the 'Australian Women's Pilots' Association

1966 -  earned  Order of the British Empire 

Helped to set up a flying medical service in outback New South Wales.

1997 - The National Trust of Australia declared her an Australian Living Treasure .

Turning point

 flowed at an air pageant in 13 YO

 Dutch airline company invited her to do some promotional work in Europe she accepted.

Nancy Bird is well-named.She is one of Australia's aviation pioneers, and the first female pilot in the Commonwealth to carry passengers.A love of life above the clouds, has taken Nancy around the world, fulfilling dreams that began in childhood.Born in Sydney in 1915, Nancy wanted to fly almost as soon as she could walk."I had this reputation of climbing fences and trees and calling myself an eppy plane. You know, jumping off fences and waving my arms."Nancy left school early to work in her father's general store in the country."With my hard-won savings I bought myself a leather coat, helmet and goggles, because I was going to learn to fly."Nancy was thirteen years old when she flew for the first time while at an air pageant.She paid the pilot a bit extra to do some aerobatics!"My sister said I came down a little green - but on the other hand it became the ruling passion of my life."Five years later that passion drove Nancy to take flying lessons, and not with any old instructor.Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, the first man to fly across the mid-Pacific, had just opened a pilots' school near Sydney, and Nancy was among his first pupils.She was so tiny she needed cushions to reach the controls!Most women learnt to fly for fun.But Nancy planned to fly for a living."When I got my license, I had to think about doing something with it."Having a commercial license meant Nancy could carry passengers, but she needed wings!Family members came to the rescue, and bought Nancy her first plane, a Gipsy Moth.Nancy and a friend soon took off on a barnstorming tour, dropping in on country fairs and giving joy rides.It was the first time some people had seen a plane, let alone a female pilot!"They didn't intend to go up. That was my job, or Peggy's job, to persuade them to go up."While touring, Nancy met Reverend Stanley Drummond.He wanted her to help set up a flying medical service in outback New South Wales.Nancy bought a better-equipped plane, and began covering territory not yet reached by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.It was rewarding but lonely work."One of the things that came into one's mind was the fear of being lost and never being found. You would have perished before being found in the summertime in that country.""Commercial aviation was still in its infancy when 31 aircraftcompeted in the 1936 air race. "(from newsreel)In 1936, Nancy entered an air race from Adelaide to Brisbane, and won the Ladies' Trophy."It was a wonderful opportunity for me to come from that back country and meet other flying people. You see, I was isolated out there. Nobody even spoke the same language."After working in the outback for more than four years, Nancy knew she needed a break from flying.When a Dutch airline company invited her to do some promotional work in Europe, she accepted.World War Two broke out soon after Nancy's return to Australia.She began training women in skills needed to back-up the men flying in the Australian Airforce.In 1950, she founded the 'Australian Women's Pilots' Association'.Eight years later Nancy decided she wanted to fly again.Nancy was back in the pilot's seat after a twenty year absence.Her entry in a famous all-women race in America, called the Powder Puff Derby, made headlines.It was the first time a woman from overseas had competed.Throughout her life Nancy has supported charities, and people in need.This generous spirit earned her the Order of the British Empire in 1966.Although she's never crashed a plane Nancy admits flying, especially in those early days, was risky.Taking risks, says this adventurer, opens up opportunities."There's a wonderful quotation 'whatever you can do or dream, begin it'."

 Nancy-Bird Walton, AO, OBE, DStJ (16 October 1915 – 13 January 2009) was a pioneering Australian aviator, and was the founder and patron of the Australian Women Pilots' Association.

In the 1930s, defying the traditional role of females of her time, she became a fully qualified pilot at the age of 19, and became the youngest Australian woman to gain a pilot's licence.

Biography[edit]

Born in Kew, New South Wales, Australia on 16 October 1915 as Nancy Bird,^[1] she wanted to fly almost as soon as she could walk. As a teenager during the Depression in Australia, Nancy Bird found herself in the same position as many other children of the time, leaving school at 13 to assist her family.^[1] In 1933, at the age of 18, her passion drove her to take flying lessons. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, who was the first man to fly across the mid-Pacific, had just opened a pilots' school near Sydney, and she was among his first pupils. Most women learned to fly for recreation, but Nancy planned to fly for a living.

When she was awarded a commercial pilot's license at the age of 19, through a legacy of 200 pounds from a great aunt plus money loaned from her father (which she paid back), Nancy bought her first aircraft, a de Havilland Gipsy Moth. Soon after Nancy Bird and her friend Peggy McKillop took off on a barnstorming tour, dropping in on country fairs and giving joyrides to people who had never seen an aircraft before, let alone a female pilot. Whilst touring, Bird met Reverend Stanley Drummond. He wanted her to help set up a flying medical service in outback New South Wales. In 1935, she was hired to operate the service, named the Royal Far West Children's Health Scheme. Bird's own Gipsy Moth was used as an air ambulance. She bought a better-equipped aircraft, and began covering territory not yet reached by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. She told others that it was rewarding but lonely work.

In 1936, Nancy Bird entered an air race from Adelaide to Brisbane, and won the Ladies' Trophy. In 1938 she decided to have a long break from flying. A Dutch airline company (KLM) invited her to do some promotional work in Europe, where she stayed for a couple of years. She returned to Australia soon after World War II broke out. She began training women in skills needed to back up the men flying in the Royal Australian Air Force. She was 24 when she married an Englishman, Charles Walton, and had two children. He preferred to call her "Nancy-Bird" rather than "Nancy", and she became generally known as "Nancy-Bird Walton". In 1950, she founded the Australian Women Pilots' Association (AWPA),^[1] where she remained president for five years. Nancy-Bird Walton became Patron of the AWPA in 1983 following the death of Lady Casey, the original Patron. In 1958, she decided to return to flying after a twenty-year absence.

Throughout her life Walton was notable for her support of charities and people in need. This generous spirit saw her invested as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1966. She was later appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. She was the starting block for generations of female pilots. She was never involved in an accident, despite the risks of early aviation.

The National Trust of Australia declared her an Australian Living Treasure in 1997.

The first Airbus A380 (VH-OQA) delivered to Australian airline Qantas was named in her honour.^[2] Her name on the A380 was originally written "Nancy Bird Walton",^[3] but Qantas respected her preference for the hyphenation that her late husband used ("Nancy-Bird"), and the hyphen was added before the aircraft's naming, shortly after she was aboard the ceremonial flight above Sydney.^[4] This aircraft was operating flight QF32 when it suffered a serious uncontained engine failure after takeoff from Singapore in 2010; rather ironically, Walton wrote the first officer's reference when he first joined Qantas as a pilot.^[5]

One of her last main interviews was for the feature-length documentary film Flying Sheilaswhich provided a unique insight into her life along with seven other Australian female pilots.

On 10 September 2008, shortly before her death, Walton conducted a 45-minute interview for the one-hour documentary .

On 13 January 2009, Nancy-Bird Walton died at the age of 93.

Nelson Mandella

1952   -  opened  first Black Law firm in South Africa
 finished his degree and qualified as a Lawyer.
1944 - 1949  helped found the ANC Youth League
 1994 -  elected as State President of South Africa

 Make Poverty History Campaign

 1993 - won  Nobel Peace Prize jointly with F.W. De Klerk

by late 50s resignation of ANC
1960 - the Sharpeville massacre of 63 black South African’s changed the whole political climate 1962 - Arrested and  sentenced  notorious Robben Island prison
 1990-released  prison

 1952  -  opened  first Black Law firm in South Africa

 1944 - 1949  helped found the ANC Youth League

  by late 50s resignation of ANC

 1956 -  charged with treason

 1960 -   Sharpeville massacre ( After a day of demonstrations against pass laws, a crowd of about 5,000 to 7,000 black African protesters went to the police station.)

 1960 -  change   political climate of South Africa 

 1960 -  ANZ was Banned

 1962 -  arrested 

 1962 -  sentenced  life imprisonment in notorious Robben Island prison

 1962 - 1990  helped to keep other Men’s spirits high in prison 

 1990 -  release from prison

 1990 - 1994

 10 May 1994  elected State President 

 1994 - 1999  was President 

 Make Poverty History Campaign

1993 - won Nobel Peace Prize jointly with F.W. De Klerk

Nelson Mandela – ShortBiography

Nelson Mandela was born at Qunu, near Umtata on 18 July 1918. His father, was chief councillor to Thembuland’s acting chief David Dalindyebo. When his father died, Mandela and was groomed for becoming chief of his local tribe. However Mandela would never be able to make this commitment.

Whilst at university Nelson Mandela became increasingly aware of the unjust nature of South African Society. The majority of Black South Africans had little opportunities either Economic or Political. Much to the disappointment of his family, Mandela became involved in politics, and along with his good friend and comrade Oliver Tambo was expelled from Fort Hare for organising a student strike. However Mandela was able to finish his degree and qualified as a Lawyer. In 1952 Mandela and Tambo opened the first Black Law firm in South Africa. The Transvaal Law Society tried to have it closed down, although this was blocked by the South African Supreme Court.

In 1944 Mandela helped found the ANC Youth League, whose Programme of Action was adopted by the ANC in 1949. Mandela was instrumental in pushing the ANC into more direct action such as the 1952 Defiance Campaign and later acts of sabotage.

By the late 50s the S.A.state had become increasingly repressive making it more difficult for the ANC to operate. Mandela had to resign from the ANC and work underground. In the late 50s (56 ‒61) there was an extremely lengthy Treason Trial in which Mandela and several others were charged with treason. Conducting their own defence they eventually proved to be victorious. Mandela noted in his autobiography the judiciary were one of the least repressive parts of the South African State and in theory sought to follow the rule of law.

However in 1960 the Sharpeville massacre of 63 black South African’s changed the whole political climate. South Africa was increasingly isolated on the international scene and the government banned the ANC. This led Mandela to advocate armed struggle through the Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK).

However by 1962 Mandela had been arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in the notorious Robben Island prison. Life at the prison was tough and uncompromising. However in his autobiographyMandela reveals how he sought to make the best use of his time there. He helped to keep other Men’s spirits high and never compromised his political principles when offered earlt release. Towards the end of his prison spell his treatment improved as the South African establishment increasingly looked to negotiation, in the face of international isolation.

Although negotiations were painfully slow and difficult, they eventually led to Mandela’s release in 1990. It was an emotional moment watched by millions around the globe

The next 4 years were also difficult as South African society suffered inter cultural violence between ANC and Inkarta supporters, in addition to slow progress on a new constitution.

However on 10 May 1994 Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first democratically elected State President of South Africa on and was President until June 1999. As president, Mandela presided over the transition from minority rule and apartheid. His advocacy of reconciliation led to international acclaim and importantly the trust of the White African population. Despite the initial euphoria of winning the election the ANC faced a difficult challenge to improve the lives of the black population. This was made more difficult by the HIV epidemic, which continues to cause grave problems. (Nelson Mandela recently lost his eldest son to this disease and Mandela has worked hard to campaign on this issue.)

Since retiring from office Nelson Mandela has continued to be an international figure of great stature. He is one of the few politicians who have gone beyond a political role; he is widely admired and has received many prestigious awards. Nelson Mandelais also associated with many educational programmes and initiatives such as Make Poverty History Campaign.

In 1993 Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prizejointly with F.W. De Klerk

Short Bio by: Richard

External Links

Biography Professor Fred Hollows

1929 - born in Newzealand

Professor and eye doctor
working in mental hospital (turning point)
1960 -  got  job in Australia 
1965 - head of the Eye Department in Sydney Set  first Aboriginal Medical Service
1970 - 1979  launch national program to attack eye disease in Aboriginal Australians
 treated 30,000 people performed 
A thousand operations 
prescribed about 10,000 pairs  glasses
By 1980  eye health programs  developing countries 
Peter Corris a close friend 
built eye lens factory by asking help from Australian
1989 - got cancer
1993 - dide