“My God! It’s a woman!”
Paul Phelan , 13 January 2009 – 7:05 am2 Comments
The title of Nancy Bird-Walton’s autobiography, quoted from the lips of a querulous about-to-be-passenger western Queensland grazier, encapsulates the ethos that drove the late Nancy Bird-Walton to invest so much of her lifetime dispelling those attitudes through her determination, her achievements, her compelling personality, and her shining leadership.
This gutsy, calmly outspoken and dedicated woman, known personally to so many of us, passed away on January 13th, quietly and at home with her family.
With a commercial pilot licence obtained in 1935, she was flying the (then) almost trackless Australian outback before most of us were born. She will be always remembered for the inspiration she brought to the task of convincing the world by example rather than preaching, that the role of women in aviation must always be an equal one. And she succeeded.
Farewell Nancy. Australian aviators will always admire you.
You have set a fine example of courage, competence and leadership and have done volumes for the female gender.
May you rest in peace for just a little while. We need you back, and many more like you.
What a truely fantastic Australian. She did life well.