Seventy-five years ago this week, a group of female aviators–rarities in 1950–gathered at Bankstown Airport in Sydney under the leadership of aviation icon Nancy-Bird Walton, determined to band together to inspire an encourage other women to try their hand at the male-dominated aviation game.
The outcome of that meeting is still functioning today: the Australian Women Pilots' Association (AWPA), perhaps the most enduring and amenable of all aviation groups in Australia.
Nancy-Bird was only one of 35 that gathered on 16 September 1950, but she emerged as the AWPA's first president and set the organisation on a path that by any measure has been a successful one.
With the AWPA celebrating right across Australia, current National President Sarah Hume took time to reflect on the association's history.
“Seventy-five years on, the vision of Nancy-Bird Walton and the founding members continues to guide us and our network of over 550 members around the country," she said.
“AWPA is proud of our history and the role we play in encouraging women to pursue their goals in aviation.
“This milestone is a chance to celebrate the achievements of the past and to look ahead with confidence as more women take to the skies."
With members ranging from student pilots to the most highly-qualified airline captains and military pilots, AWPA remains a keystone organisation that's mission to grow public interest in aviation amongst women, and contribute to the development of the aviation industry has not changed over 75 years.
In 2024, the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame awarded the Southern Cross Award to the AWPA in recognition of the organisation's many years of service to the aviation community in Australia.
AWPA members are celebrating with a number of events around the country, with more information available on the AWPA website.