“A GREAT THRILL.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20340, 25 June 1934, Page 7

“A GREAT THRILL.”

Miss Jean Batten at Auckland. HONOURED BY CITY. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 25. New Zealand’s most distinguished aviatrix. Miss Jean Batten, made a triumphant return to her homeland today. The liner Aorangi, by which she came, arrived soon after daylight, but it was met out in the Hauraki Gulf by a welcoming aeroplane, which was presently joined by another. Owing to the earliness of the vessel’s | arrival and the mistiness of the morning, there was not a large crowd on the wharf when the ship berthed, but there were plenty of signs of a desire to honour Miss Batten. In recognition of her great achievement, all the ships in port were dressed for the occasion. The ferry steamers hooted a welcome, and on the wharf a band played, and a group of women, former pupils of the Remuera Ladifes’ College, cheered lustily. The 'first to greet Miss Batten were her father, Mr F. H. Batten, and her brother. They were closely followed by Mr D. Ardell, representing the Government, and by a group of Miss Batten’s former schoolmates, who garlanded her with violets and greeted her enthusiastically. Then for over half an hour she placed herself at the disposal of newspaper and cinema photographObviously delighted by her reception, but calm and gracious, Miss Batten won everyone’s admiration. In between continual calls for her attention, she remarked that she had experienced as great a thrill on seeing the coast of New Zealand as on sighting the coast of Australia, although the circumstances were vastly different. She spoke enthusiastically of her welcomes in Australia, and of Lord Wakefield’s help. Later, Miss Batten was driven to her hotel in a motor-car which flew the New Zealand ensign, and in which she sat almost hidden by bouquets. Miss Batten’s plane in which she flew to Australia also arrived by the Aorangi. Miss Batten remarked that none of the male members of her family had regarded her flying very kindly, being anxious for her safety. Her mother, who would arrive in New Zealand next month, had been her inspiration. Her mother was her first passenger when she qualified at Mangere. She recounted the incidents of her three flights, remarking that after she returned to London from Rome she had lost some of her enthusiasm but none of her determination. “ Achieved My Ambition.” “ I want to say how glad I am to be back in my home town and to have achieved my ambition. From the beginning, my hope was to bring my plane from England to New Zealand, and now I am here. As the range of the plane is only 800 miles I was unable to complete the last lap bv air, but I have brought my plane with me. Now that I have reached by journey s end I am more than pleased.” Miss Batten will leave for Wellington by train to.morrow to be the guest of the Governor-General and Lady Bledisloe for several days. Later she will return to Auckland for . several weeks. She expects to remain in New Zealand for some months. Miss Batten denied a report that she might take part in the Melbourne air race, saying that her machine was not second-hand but fifth-hand, and quite unsuitable. She hoped to be in Melbourne to see the finish of the race. A WORLD FIGURE. “But is Still Totally Unspoiled.” (Special to the “Star.”) AUCKLAND, June 25. A delightful young woman totally unspoiled by the great fame she has won—that briefly is Jean Batten, who returned to Auckland by the liner Aorangi this morning. Iler recent soi<s flight from England to Australia has made her a world figure, but she came back to her home city to-day only as a wonderfully happy young lady, who expressed herself as genuinely thrilled at the warmth of the welcome. Her first appearance high up on the bridge of the liner was the signal for a burst of cheering. All eyes were focused on the diminutive figure as it waved back greetings from the bridge rail'. Miss Batten was obviously delighted to be back in her home town. “ I am thrilled to be here and want 3*ou to tell everybody so,” she told interviewers. As she talked Miss Batten fondled a small black kitten. The kitten had been given to her by the inmates of the Prince of Wales Hospital for T.B. soldiers at Sydney. The Flying Kitten. The kitten had eighteen hours’ flying to its credit. “ I took it from Sydney to Melbourne with me by train and had it with me when I flew’ from Melbourne to Sydney and also on my flight from Sydney to Brisbane. Eighteen hours’ flying is not a bad record for a kitten only five weeks old. It was christened “ Buddy ” on the train’ trip ta Melbourne by Mr Banks, originator of ‘ Ginger Meg.’ Miss Batten stopped telling of her kitten to receive a welcome from representatives of the National Council of women. “Oh, don’t you know?” said Miss Batten, when she was asked if the name of her fiance was still secret. “ He is Captain E. F. Walter.” Captain Walter, she said, was a member of the London Stock Exchange. They had only been engaged three months and owing to the uncertainty of her programme she was unable to give even the approximate date of the wedding. v It was onlv a few minutes after eight o’clock when Miss Batten went ashore, but by this time the crowd on the wharf had grown considerably. Miss Batten’s appearance at the head of the gangway was greeted with enthusiastic cheering and the band struck up “ For She’s a Jolly Good Fellow.”