Aviation pioneer Jean Batten was born on 15 September 1909, in Rotorua. Inspired as a teenager to become a pilot, Batten learnt to fly in England and during the 1930s she succeeded in breaking several world records in long-distance flying. Her most notable achievement was in making the first ever solo direct flight from England to New Zealand, on October 16 1936. In 1938, she was the first woman to be awarded the medal of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, aviation's highest honour. Batten’s glamorous public persona and her remarkable triumphs made her one of the most internationally recognised New Zealanders of the 1930s. Her life ended in obscurity however as she died in Majorca of an untreated wound in 1982, but her death was not publicly announced in New Zealand until 1987.

In 1934, Batten made a six week aerial tour of New Zealand in her famous ‘Gipsy Moth’ biplane. During this tour, she was provided with daily forecasts from the New Zealand Meterological Office, in order to aid her flights. This image is of Batten’s letter of thanks for these telegrams, which comes from a Department of Scientific and Industrial Research file of correspondence relating to the forecasts sent to her throughout the tour.

Archives reference: ABLO W4117 8/9/5/2 - www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=2256562

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