In the late 1920s and 30s Australia produced a number of internationally acknowledged pioneers of early aviation such as Kingsford-Smith and Ulm. One whose name appears less often but whose accomplishments are of no less consequence is Lores Bonney.

In the 1930s Lores Bonney created aviation history by being the first woman to fly around Australia, the first to fly from Australia to England and the first to fly from Australia to South Africa. Yet until recently her accomplishments have never received the recognition they deserve.

Lores Bonney was born Maude Rose Reubens in 1897 and in 1917 she married Harry Bonney, a leather goods manufacturer based in Brisbane. Her passion for aviation began in 1928 after flying in an Avro Avian with Bert Hinkler who had just completed his first solo flight from England to Australia.

After this experience she learnt to fly while her husband was at golf and on Boxing Day 1932 she set a new Australian distance record for a woman by flying from Brisbane to her family's home in Wangaratta, Victoria. In 1932 she gained her 'A' class commercial pilot's licence and in the same year she became the first airwoman to circumnavigate Australia.

Not satisfied with these accomplishments, in 1933 Bonney flew her De Havilland DH 60 Moth, affectionately named 'My Little Ship', from Australia to England, becoming the first woman to do so. Although not widely acclaimed in Australia she received an MBE for this feat in 1934.

In 1937 she flew a Klemm 32, named My Little Ship II, overland from Australia to South Africa. While over Africa she frequently took the opportunity to fly at low altitude to look at elephants and other wildlife. While in South Africa she was presented with pilot's wings by their Air Force command. Lores Bonney's stopped flying in 1939. She was awarded an Order of Australia in 1991 and died in 1994.

Geoff Barker, April, 2008

References
Terry Gwyn-Jones, Pioneer Aviator; the Remarkable Life of Lores Bonney, University of Queensland Press, Queensland, Australia, 1988
William Joy, The Aviators, Golden Press, Sydney, Australia, 1983
Ellen Rogers, Faith in Australia; Charles Ulm and Australian Aviation, Ellen Rogers, Sydney, Australia, 1987
Leslie Jillet, Wings across the Tasman, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, New Zealand, 1953
Blue File, Powerhouse Museum, B2604

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