|
The Queenborough Chronicle
Volume 11 Issue 1
January 2009
Christmas Dinner
Our Christmas
Dinner this year was a great success with good fellowship a bit of fun and
gifts for everyone. Thanks to all those who helped make it an enjoyable
occasion.
Australia Day Lunch
It looks as if
we will have about 14 for the Australia Day lunch at Meadowbank Winery. See you
there.
Richmond Gardens Function
Flyers for this
event have gone out and requests for tickets are already starting to come in.
We have arranged for Val to have tickets available at her shop (Gallery 77 at
Salamanca) so you can direct people there if they ask you for tickets, or
cheques can be posted to the PO Box 772 at Rosny Park.
International Women’s Day 2009
The Board has
decided that we are not in a position to organize an IWD Breakfast so soon after
the Richmond function. The RHH Breakfast has Geraldine Doogue as speaker and I
am getting further details so that members may like to attend that instead.
Calendar for 2009
The Board has
started planning for next year and so far these dates can be noted:
24 January Australia Day Lunch
16 February Dinner Meeting with final
organization for Richmond
21 February Richmond Gardens Event
16 March Dinner Meeting – Zonta update,
Conference, Foundation etc
20 April AGM with Speaker
18 May Changeover Dinner
23 May 10th Birthday
Celebration
Entertainment Books
Remember that we
will be selling these again this year so mention them to friends. A small group will be attending the launch on
20 March at their office in North Hobart.
Conference 2009
Don't forget that 2009 is Conference Year. The venue is Ballarat and the date is the 25 to the 27 of September. This is the Grand Final weekend so you may need to make an early booking if you intend on going.
Membership
It is with much regret that we have accepted the
resignations of Denise and Cheryle. Both
have job commitments that do not allow them time to continue with us. Cheryle
has accepted another contract teaching in Vietnam and will be returning there
for another year. This puts us in a very vulnerable position and membership
recruitment will be vital this year if we wish to remain a viable club. Please
put your minds to it.
Our best wishes to Gwen for a speedy full recovery from her
car accident and we look forward to welcoming her back to meetings when she is
well enough.
Also, we sent our heartfelt commiserations to Denise whose
mother was killed in a car accident late last year.
Dinner Meeting Costs
We have been
informed by Rydges that the cost of the meal will be increasing to $30.00 this
year. The Board recommends that we should accept this increase as we are
unlikely to find anywhere else as suitable at a lower price and under the
current economic situation. Please be prepared to pay an extra $2 in February.
Nominating Committee
The Annual General Meeting will be held in April and we will
be looking for nominations for office. The Nominating Committee is Chaired by
Rosemary and other members are Pat and Jean. Please have a think about
nominations for this year’s elections.
Nancy Bird Walton Passes
Famed
Australian aviation pioneer Nancy Bird Walton has died aged 93 just months
after fulfilling her dream to see the launch of the Qantas super jumbo named in
her honour.
The National Living Treasure, as named by the National Trust of
Australia in 1997, died from natural causes at her Mosman home on Sydney's
north shore about 2pm (AEDT) on Tuesday.
Taught to fly by Charles
Kingsford-Smith at age 17, Ms Walton became Australia's first
commercially-licensed female pilot two years later.
One of the first people to
enrol in Kingsford Smith's Mascot flying school, the 150cm tall Ms Walton
needed to sit on two cushions to be able to reach the pedals and see out of the
cockpit.
But despite her lack of height and disapproval from her tutor, the
NSW-born woman went on to become one the country's most inspirational
aviators.
''Smithy didn't quite approve of women flying,'' Ms Walton once
said.
With support from her family, Ms Walton purchased her own Gypsy Moth
aircraft and flew around NSW, promoting aviation and taking passengers into the
skies.
At age 19 she was hired to operate an air ambulance service throughout
outback NSW, ferrying medical staff, the injured and expectant mothers.
She
would often land in stock filled paddocks with her only clue to wind direction
being a glance at washing hanging on nearby lines.
Ms Walton's aviation
achievements include founding the Australian Women Pilots' Association and
serving as its long-term president, and Emeritus patron of the Royal Flying
Doctor Service.
Her lifetime of dedication to aviation was acknowledged with
an OBE in 1966.
She became a Dame of the Knights of Malta in 1977 and in 1990
was awarded an AO by the Australian government.
In September last year, she
was further honoured when Qantas named its first A380 aircraft ''Nancy Bird
Walton''.
''Qantas first asked if they could name this magnificent plane after
me at my 90th birthday three years ago and I made it my decision to stay alive
for today's ceremony ... and I've made it,'' she told the ceremony in
September.
The A380 is considered to be the most advanced and eco-efficient
aircraft, thanks to reduced external noise levels, lower fuel consumption and
significantly improved carbon dioxide emissions per passenger per
kilometre.
''We couldn't in our wildest dreams imagine that it would come to
this, and that it would fly so well, so smooth, not as noisy,'' Ms Walton said
during her inspection of the aircraft.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said
Ms Walton had been a ''trailblazer for Australian women pilots and an
inspirational figure in Australian aviation''.
''We are so proud that our
first A380 is named after Nancy Bird and will carry her name into the future,''
he said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
''Nancy Bird's boundless energy, her
courage and her vision for the role of women in aviation represented the best of
Australia.''
Former Sydney Airports CEO Tony Stuart, a close friend of Ms
Walton in her later years, said she had inspired many.
''Nancy was an
inspirational Australian whose infectious enthusiasm, true blue grit and
commitment to helping others touched all who met her,'' said Mr Stuart, who is
now CEO of NRMA Motoring & Services.
''Warm, generous and full of
vitality, energy and curiosity, Nancy was dearly loved by all who met her and
had friends of all ages and from all walks of life.''
Ms Walton is survived by
her daughter Anne Marie, son John, grandchildren Scott, Anna, Paul and Baron,
and great grandchildren Lachlan and Zoe.
A public funeral service was expected
to be held in Sydney, with a date yet to be confirmed, a family spokeswoman
said.
AAP
Apologies
To Catherine by
lunchtime on Friday 13 February
Dates
for your Diary
Club Meeting – 16 February
Board Meeting – 12 March
International
Convention 2010
Texas, USA
District Conference
Ballarat - 27 September
Zonta Club
of Queenborough Inc
Club No. - 1637
President: Helen Freeman
Secretary: Pam Bridgen
Treasurer: Catherine Mair
Newsletter: Jean Walker (62 494252)
Postal
address
PO Box 772, Rosny Park
Tas 7018
|
