Ms. Batten, ‘the Garbo of the skies’, is the perfect embodiment of early New Zealand pioneering spirit. Born in 1909, she began life like any other woman of the day studying piano and ballet at a posh girls school in Auckland. The lady like sensibilities fortunately ended around age 18 when she was determined to become a pilot much encourgaed by the exploits of the famous Charles Kingsford Smith. Jean took to flying ‘like a penguin to water’ and spent the 1930’s taking several long distance records from the boys, including the first ever direct flight between England and New Zealand in 1936. |
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