Iza Crossley
Miss Crossley was from Melbourne and was a champion swimmer and diver. She joined Pat Hanna's Diggers Group as an acress. She was reported to be the first woman to start pilot training in South Australia in Jan 1928. On Tues 14th Feb 1928, she was planning to fly her first solo flight (over Adelaide). She was unable to complete her pilot training in Adelaide when the acting company left for Perth in March 1928.
For more on Iza Crossley, click here. [external website]

Nora Harkness
Nora Harkness had been living at O'Halloran Hill with Victoria Miss Cholmondeley (below). They were farming and had a vineyard at Vale Royal, O'Halloran Hill. She commenced her training in January 1928 and qualified as a pilot on 31st August 1928. Her Licence number was No.209 and her fling instructor was Flying-Officer Mc-Gilvery (Aero Club Instructor). This made her the first South Australian woman to become a licenced pilot and the seventh in Australia.

Victoria M. Cholmondeley
(sometimes Cholmondley) Victoria was born 5 March 1902 in Longford, Tasmania. There are reports that the family lived in Adelaide, the U.K., New Zealand and Canada. She had begun a flying course in London and had done about 10 hours and 50 minutes flying before migrating to South Australia. She became a licenced pilot 29th June 1929. Her licence number was No.332. This made her the second woman pilot in South Australia. Victoria was a partner in a farming venture at O'Halloran Hill with Nora Harkness and three other women. In October 1931, it was reported that Victoria had returned to the U.K. The ATA ferry Pilots website lists Victoria as a U.K. ferry pilot from 10 Mar 1941 to 30 Nov 1945 (one of 3 Australian women ferry pilots) and that she received the King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air. She died 13 January 1986 at Hereford, England.

Helena (Helen) Cato
Helena's father was Mr. H.E. Cato of Clare. He was actively involved in builing aeroplaes in WW1 and was the proprietor af a motor garage in which Helena worked. Miss Cato enrolled in a training course in Oct 1931 and qualified for a private pilot's licence Tue 2nd Feb 1932. Helena flew Father Christmas from Parafield to Stanley Flat in Dec 1931. In Feb 1932, Helena was a passenger in a plane being flown by Mr. M.C. Campbell when it hit a post when landing. The propellor was splintered but neither the pilot or Helena was hurt. Helena did not fly for 12 months. In Mar 1934, it was reported that Miss Cato had accrued 55 hours of solo flying to her credit She was second in the Aero Club competitions for the past 12 months with her total of marks, and was placed first in the glide and climb competition. She also came first in the last competition for flying under cover. She married John Lloyd in Jun 1938.

Jeune Scott-Kemball
Miss Kemball was born in 1914. Her father was Captain Scott-Kemball who commanded the Mulcra for the Adelaide Steamship Company. Jeune was keen to do flying lessons at the age of 14 years but was unable to as the minimum age for flying was 17 years. At age of 17 years and 4 months, she gained her A Class pilot's license on 7 March 1932 becoming the youngest licensed pilot in Australia (male or female). She travelled to United Kingdom via Singapore to study art at Oxford. She continued her flying in England to help pay for her university course. She was a researcher at the British Museum on the Raffles Collection of Javanese masks and puppets and wrote a book based on her research. She married Mr. Percy Jones of Ealing, London. In 1947, it was reported that Juene was making instructional training films for the services.

Marion (Brownie) Lunn
Brownie Lunn was the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Lunn, of Kensington road, Adelaide, and was educated at Girton School. Brownie gained her pilot's license in May 1933. In May 1934, she became the first Australian woman to complete a night flight, navigating without marked runways using only kerosene tin-can flares. In Nov 1934, Brownie flew to Dublin (about 12 miles north-west of Two Wells, and more than 35 miles from Adelaide) with her younger sister Shirley, where she dropped a wedding present by parachute intp the garden of Mr. A. Webb. In 1936, Brownie was the South Australian Representative for the Australian Women's International Association of Aeronautics. In Dec 1936, Nancy Bird Walton was staying with Brownie Lunn at Norwood. Brownie Lunn offered her services to Royal Australian Air Force as soon as war began, but beyond a reply saying that the R.A.A.F. would let her know if there was any thing she could do, Miss Lunn recieved no reply. She became a section leader in the Red Cross Women's Transport Service in S.A. and later was a senior under officer in No. 2 Squadron of the W.A.T.C., engaged in munition work.

Other South Australian Women Pilots (coming later)
Miss E. (Mitzi) Floyd-Chomley (from North Bungaree – went to Tasmania) Mrs. Fair.
Miss Jean Laffer (from Owen) Enrolled in a flying course in Dec 1933.
Miss Elizabeth Bronner (from South Terrace) the youngest woman pilot in Australia. c. Oct 1936
Miss Pauline Burns-Cuming (from Torrensville) c.1938. Married Eric Sims Mar 1942.
Miss Kathlene Sutherland (from Hyde Park)
Miss Hester Burden (from Norwood)
Miss Rowena Bray
Miss Daphne Bowman