Norman Brearley
Sir Norman Brearley | |
|---|---|
Pilot | |
| Title | Sir |
Sir Norman Brearley
Early life
Born in
Aviation career
First World War
In April 1915, after undertaking a 5-year apprenticeship as a mechanic, Brearley worked his way to the
Post-war
Following the end of hostilities, Brearley bought two Avro 504 aircraft (plus a spare engine), which he had shipped to Australia.[2] In 1921, he founded Western Australian Airways Ltd., based at Geraldton.[1] In the same year, he was issued with Australia's first civil pilot's licence, under the 1921 Air Navigation Regulations.[1] His licence was numbered as licence No. 2, but there was no licence No. 1 at the time: a licence of that number was not issued until 1930, when it was presented to Amy Johnson in honour of her record flight from London to Australia.[1]
In 1927, Brearley opened the Perth Flying School at Maylands. He retired from commercial aviation in 1936 when he merged his airline with Australian National Airways.[3]
Later life
Brearley later served with the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II, commanding No. 4 Service Flying Training School at Geraldton from October 1942 to March 1944.[1][4]
Brearley was knighted in 1971. He died on 9 June 1989.[1][4]
Personal life
Brearley married Violet Claremont Stubbs at Christ Church, Claremont on 5 July 1917, when he was recovering from his injuries. She died in 1982, aged 85. The couple had a son and a daughter.[2][4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Brearley Pilot's Licences, Treasures of the Battye Library". State Library of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Tucker 1990.
- ^ a b c "Australia's First Airline Service". Spirits of Ansett. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Bunbury 2007.
Further reading
- Brearley, Sir Norman; Mayman, Ted (1971). Australian Aviator. Adelaide: Rigby. ISBN 0-85179-227-8.
- Bunbury, Bill (2007). "Brearley, Sir Norman (1890–1989)". OCLC 70677943.
- Mayman, Ted (1979). "Sir Norman Brearley, the aviator". In Hunt, Lyall (ed.). Westralian Portraits. Nedlands: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 193–198. ISBN 0-85564-157-6.
- Tucker, Stuart (March 1990). "Sir Norman Brearley CBE, DSO, MC, AFC, FRAeS [obituary]". Cross and Cockade International. 21 (1): 53–54.
External links
- "28. Group Capt. Sir Norman Brearley (1891–1989), aviator". Karrakatta Cemetery Historical Walk Trail 1. Metropolitan Cemeteries Board: Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
