Milestones

Press, 2 October 1979, Page 23

Milestones

Three Australian Aboriginal girls recently graduated as T.A.A. hostesses in a special ceremony at the airline’s Melbourne head office. The three girls, Mary Cross, Jennifer Patterson, and Evelyn Schaber, are believed to be the only Aboriginal hostesses with an Australian airline. <8 I;! Last year, for the first time on record, the number of foreign visitors entering South Africa exceeded the number of South Africans travelling

Mr Christopher Symonds, who has been appointed Continental Airlines’ Christchurch-based sales manager for the South Island and Wellington area. He was formerly with Air New Zealand for 14 years. Continental will open its new office in Christchurch next month.

beyond the Republic. This milestone is especially notable in a Southern Hemisphere country w'here the outflow of travellers traditionally exceeds the inflow of tourists. The greatest proportion of travellers to South Africa last year arrived from the United Kingdom. Next in order were those from Argentina, United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and Australia.

Captain P. J. Buck, flight operations director for Air New Zealand’s Boeing 737 and Friendship services, has retired after 32 years in the airline industry. Captain Buck began flying with the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1941 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was N.A.C.’s flight operations manager before the Air New Zealand merger last year.

Mr Richard Elliot, of Auckland, who has been appointed passenger marketing manager for Pan American Airways in New Zealand. He succeeds Mr Wayne Stening who was recently promoted to Pan American’s head office in New York. Mr Elliot joined the airline in 1970.

F i f t y-six thousand Diners Club members in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong are “discovering” New Zealand through a 20-page, fullcolour publication they have just received from Diners Club (N.Z.), Ltd. The publication, “Discover New Zealand,” features a series of . illustrated articles by specialist writers on various, aspects of the country — deep sea fishing, golfing, racing, shopping, entertainment, farming and boating.