HerStory
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Irene Selina DEAN-WILLIAMS
Also known as: née Schmidt, Selina Irene Schmidt, Rene
Born: 12/7/1903
Died: 3/7/1946
Special Achievements:1932 - Flew her Gipsy Moth from Perth to Sydney via Adelaide and Melbourne, and returned to Perth, becoming the first aviatrix to fly across Australia East to West. She set the inaugural record of five days for the flight by a woman, Sydney to Perth.
1932 - Dean-Williams was the first Western Australia woman to gain a commercial pilot's licence. However, she was never employed by an aviation company, working only as an independent operator.
1931 - Obtained private pilot’s license.
One of the first women in Australia to own an aircraft (her mother bought her a bi-plane).
A building at Perth Airport is named in her honor.
Resources
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Link - Girl Flyer Here Tomorrow
Northern Standard (Darwin, NT : 1921 - 1955), Friday 22 April 1932, page 3
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Link - Miss Dean-Williams Long Flight Finished
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 3 May 1932, page 9
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Link - Another Record Made By a Woman
Northern Territory Times (Darwin, NT : 1927 - 1932), Tuesday 3 May 1932, page 3