eHive Object Details

Name/TitleMontage of images of pioneer New Zealand aviator Jean Batten

About this objectJean Batten, a New Zealander, became famous as a pilot in the 1930s with a number of record-breaking flights. This image shows a montage of pictures of Jean after several of her flights. The man beside her in the lowest picture is her father, Fred Batten.

Jean was born in Rotorua in 1909. In 1929, after being taken on a flight in Charles Kingsford-Smith’s ‘Southern Cross’, she decided she wanted to become a pilot.

She and her mother moved to England in 1929 and Jean joined the London Aeroplane Club. She gained her pilot’s licence and with financial help from friends she purchased a Gipsy Moth light aircraft. With this she hoped to fly solo to Australia and to beat the record set by Amy Johnson in 1930 for a solo flight by a woman. Jean’s first two attempts were unsuccessful but finally in May 1934 she reached Sydney, beating Amy’s record by more than four days. She took her Moth to New Zealand by sea (it had insufficient range to cross the Tasman) and undertook a celebratory six-week tour of New Zealand.

Returning to England, Jean purchased a new aircraft, a Percival Gull Six, and in that she made more record flights, including from England to Brazil in 1935 and England to New Zealand in 1936. She received numerous awards and trophies.

Jean spent World War 2 in fund-raising activities but after the war became something of a recluse. She moved around with her mother until the latter’s death in 1965. Jean was in Spain and in 1982 she died, alone, in Majorca from complications following a dog bite. She was unknown in Majorca and was buried in a pauper’s grave. Her family did not learn of her death until 1987.

One of the many slides purchased from retailers or specifically made for illustrated lectures given by Isaac Selby between c. 1930 and c. 1955 to raise money for the Old Pioneers Memorial Fund.

This image is provided for research purposes and must not be reproduced without prior permission.For a high resolution copy of this image, contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria

Date Madec. 1934

Period1930-1940

Object TypeGlass slide

Subject and Association KeywordsCivil aviation

Subject and Association KeywordsFamous aviators

Subject and Association KeywordsNotable flights

Subject and Association KeywordsWomen

Subject and Association KeywordsBatten, Jean, 1909-1982

Medium and MaterialsGelatin silver print on glass

Named CollectionImages collection

Object numberGS-PW-03

Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved