TUMULTUOUS WELCOME

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1934, Page 7

TUMULTUOUS WELCOME

CROWDS AT NEW PLYMOUTH

CIVIC RECEPTION TO AIRWOMAN.

PFOPt-E THRONG IN DEVON STREET GREAT SIGNIFICANCE OF FLIGHT. More than 3000 New Plymouth people tumultously welcomed the New Zealand aviatrix Miss Jean Batten at a civic reception tendered her yesterday afternoon on the balcony of the Hotel Criterion. From the Egmont and Brougham Street intersections the northern side of Devon Street was choked with a crowd, a large proportion of which noticeably comprised women. Many had waited for more than an hour- at vantage points to see and hear the girl flier. Groups gathered at the upper storey windows' of buildings opposite and one enthusiastic camera man even perched precariously on the awning of a shop opposite the official dais. Every reference to her record-breaking flight from England to Australia was tne signal for prolonged applause. Promptly at 4 o’clock Miss Batten appeared with the official party on the pl&tform and acknowledged the crowd’s greeting. The Mayor, Mr. E. R. C. Gilmour, gave an address of welcome. “If Miss Batten had any doubts that she was a world heroine,” he said, “I feel sure that those doubts must now have been dissipated by the warmth of her reception, by what may almost be termed a royal progress throughout Australia and New Zealand.” It was only a few weeks ago that she had broken the England-Australia flight record of Miss Amy Johnson by three days. It had been a magnificent achievement, and one that would be recorded in the annals of flying for all time as an example of courage, resource and perseverance overcoming adversity. Success had come at a third attempt. NEW ZEALANDERS PROUD. New Zealanders were proud of Miss Batten and were pleased she had chosen to make her record flight from England to Australia, and not from England to some other part of the Empire. In aviation New Zealand—New Plymouth particularly—was more closely associated with Australia than with any other part of the Empire. On several occasions its citizens had had the opportunity of meeting and welcoming Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Flight-Lieutenant C. T. P. Ulm, who had done so much far flying in New Zealand. They had not been New Zealanders, but from meeting and knowing them it was felt that they belonged to New Zealand as much as to Australia. ,

Now, thanks to Miss Batten’s great effort, it was possible to associate with the names of those great aviators the name of one genuinely a New Zealander. When the history of aviation in New Zealand and Australia was written, the names of Sir Charles. Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm and Jean Batten would head the list. Miss Batten was at only the beginning of her career, and New. Zealand hoped and believed that her great achievement was merely the forerunner of even greater ons. “You, Miss Batten,” continued Mr. Gilmour, “have on different occasions expressed the hope that your flight would help to strengthen still further the bonds of Empire. We sincerely join with you in that wish and hope it may become reality. As we took Kingsford Smith and Ulm to our hearts and adopted them as New Zealanders, so Australia took you to its heart and adopted you as an Australian, showing pride in your achievement. We will do the same, and count it a privilege and a pleasure.” EARLIER HOME OF PARENTS. New Plymouth appreciated the compliment paid to it by Miss Batten’s visit. Its citizens felt that they had a special interest in her success, for it was at New Plymouth that Miss Batten’s parents lived for many years. New Plymouth was honoured that Miss Batten had given it the opportunity of personally offering congratulations, and of meeting and welcoming one who had done so much to put New Zealand on the map. Miss Batten, having expressed thanks for her welcome, congratulated New Plymouth on possession of so fine an airport. “Although I had heard a great deal about it,’? she said, “1 had not expected to find it so large, with such a good surface, so well - appointed and controlled so capably and efficiently.” Referring to praise of her flight, she said: “No one realises better than I do that records are made to be broken, and I should be glad to be the first to shake hands with the girl who beats mine.”

She repeated her assertion of the morning that it would take greater performances than hers to make the public as air-minded as it should be, but she hoped that Australia and New Zealand would by her flight be brought closer together in interests and outlook, as they should be. It had been pleasing to her that when in Australia people had started to refer to her as an “Australasian” rather than a New Zealander. It had been a wonderful experience for Australians to take so keen an interest in her flight and plans. She hoped to visit New Plymouth again in the summer and renew the acquaintanceships she had already made.