ADKINS
Shirley Elaine
18 March 1930 —
AKA: née Lee. First woman President of the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia (1979−1984).
Additional Information
Special Achievements
- First woman President of the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia (1979-1984).First woman elected president of the Royal Federation of Aero Clubs of Australia (1990-1997).
First woman to be awarded the Oswald Watt Medal (Australia's highest Aviation Award) (1997) - for a most notable contribution to aviation.
Additional Information
Shirley Adkins started flying as a 16 year-old in 1946 and gained her pilot's licence in 1950 flying Tiger Moths. For over 56 years, Shirley was active in aviation as an administrator and competitor. She has won more than 40 trophies from local, national and Australian Women Pilots Association flying competitions.
Resources
I mage - Shirley Adkins OAM at Jandakot Airport, Western Australia, with a Tiger Moth aircraft on which she learnt to fly (in 1950), June 1992
Image courtesy of Shirley Adkins, NPWHF collection
Audio - Shirley Adkins Verbatim programme, ABC, 10 August 2009 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Image - Shirley Adkins in a Tiger Moth aircraft in which she learnt to fly at Maylands aerodrome, Western Australia, March 1951
Image courtesy of Shirley Adkins, NPWHF collection
Image - Shirley Adkins OAM in a Mooney aircraft at Jandakot airport, Western Australia, 24 May 2002 Shirley flew in a Mooney aircraft in an air race around Australia (date not known).
Image courtesy of Shirley Adkins, NPWHF collection
Image - Shirley Adkins NPWHF avaitrix tapestry
NPWHF collection
