Deborah Lawrie
Encyclopedia
Deborah Jane Lawrie known as Deborah Wardley while married, was the first woman to become a pilot with a major Australian airline after winning a landmark sex discrimination case against Ansett Airlines.
, Victoria
. She graduated with a degree in science from the University of Melbourne
in 1974 and in education from Rusden State College in 1975. She taught high school mathematics and science from 1975 to 1977.
She obtained a private pilot licence in 1971 (aged 18) and a commercial pilot licence in 1973. She logged 2600 flying hours and became a general aviation flying instructor and charter pilot in 1976.
Having married days before the case began, she chose to use her married name in the case. The case of Deborah J. Wardley v. Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd was the first sex discrimination in employment case contested before the Equal Opportunity Board.
Reg Ansett
denied the allegation of discrimination but admitted that it was his strong personal view that women were not suited to be airline pilots. In a letter to the secretary of the Women's Electoral Lobby, the General Manager of Ansett wrote: "Ansett has adopted a policy of only employing men as pilots. This does not mean that women cannot be good pilots, but we are concerned with the provision of the safest and most efficient air service possible. In this regard, we feel that an all-male pilot crew is safer than one in which the sexes are mixed."
Ansett raised a number of objections to the employment of women as pilots, including:
The Victorian Equal Opportunity Board ruled that Ansett's refusal to employ Wardley was illegal. It awarded damages of $14,500 and ordered Ansett to include her in its next pilot training program. Ansett delayed its training intake and appealed to the Supreme Court of Victoria
but the appeal was dismissed. Ansett appealed the Supreme Court decision to the High Court of Australia
in October 1979, but employed Wardley from 5 November pending the outcome of the case.
During classroom training, Ansett attempted to sack her by claiming she had been at fault in a near-miss incident at Moorabbin Airport
despite an inquiry exonerating her and identifying the other pilot as at fault. Ansett backed down after unions stepped in.
When classroom training was completed in December 1979, she was not assigned to training aircraft despite the male trainees progressing to flight training. Ansett Airlines had been taken over by Peter Abeles
and Rupert Murdoch
in late 1979. Wardley had previously trained Murdoch's brother in law, John Calvert-Jones, to fly. She telephoned Calvert-Jones in early January 1980 informing him of the situation. Two days later Rupert Murdoch
issued a memo directing that she was to be treated the same as the male pilot candidates. She commenced flight training immediately and made her first commercial flight co-piloting a Fokker F27
from Alice Springs
to Darwin
on 22 January 1980.
The High Court dismissed Ansett's appeal in March 1980. The case is still used as a precedent
.
, Boeing 727
and Boeing 737
with Ansett Airlines. She was one of 1,640 pilots who resigned en masse following the 1989 Australian pilots' strike
. She briefly returned to teaching and had her first child, Thomas, in January 1991. She published her autobiography in 1992.
In 1993 she moved to the Netherlands
and joined KLM as a Fokker F50
pilot. In 1994 she became a Fokker F50 instructor. In 1998 she became Flight Safety Manager and Chief Flight Safety Investigator for KLM Cityhopper. As of 2007 she is a senior Airbus A330
captain
with KLM.
Now divorced, she has resumed using the name Deborah Lawrie. In a 2004 interview, she said she plans to return to Australia
when she reaches the European pilots' retirement age of 56.
Early life and education
Deborah Lawrie was born in Sydney and her family later moved to MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. She graduated with a degree in science from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
in 1974 and in education from Rusden State College in 1975. She taught high school mathematics and science from 1975 to 1977.
She obtained a private pilot licence in 1971 (aged 18) and a commercial pilot licence in 1973. She logged 2600 flying hours and became a general aviation flying instructor and charter pilot in 1976.
Case against Ansett
Lawrie first applied to Ansett Airlines in 1976 and kept sending applications for two years. During that time, 10 fellow male flying instructors were accepted into the Ansett pilot training program. She was finally interviewed in 1978 but was rejected. She took the case to the then new Victorian Equal Opportunity Board and challenged Ansett's rejection under recently enacted equal opportunity legislation.Having married days before the case began, she chose to use her married name in the case. The case of Deborah J. Wardley v. Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd was the first sex discrimination in employment case contested before the Equal Opportunity Board.
Reg Ansett
Reg Ansett
Sir Reginald Myles "Reg" Ansett KBE was an Australian businessman and aviator; best known for founding Ansett Transport Industries Limited, which owned one of Australia's two leading domestic airlines between 1957 and 2001...
denied the allegation of discrimination but admitted that it was his strong personal view that women were not suited to be airline pilots. In a letter to the secretary of the Women's Electoral Lobby, the General Manager of Ansett wrote: "Ansett has adopted a policy of only employing men as pilots. This does not mean that women cannot be good pilots, but we are concerned with the provision of the safest and most efficient air service possible. In this regard, we feel that an all-male pilot crew is safer than one in which the sexes are mixed."
Ansett raised a number of objections to the employment of women as pilots, including:
- That pilots needed strength, even though there was no strength test for pilots
- That unions would object
- That women's menstrual cycles made them unsuitable
- Pregnancy and childbirth would disrupt a woman's career to the point where it would jeopardise safety and incur extra costs for the company. This was Ansett's main legal argument.
The Victorian Equal Opportunity Board ruled that Ansett's refusal to employ Wardley was illegal. It awarded damages of $14,500 and ordered Ansett to include her in its next pilot training program. Ansett delayed its training intake and appealed to the Supreme Court of Victoria
Supreme Court of Victoria
The Supreme Court of Victoria is the superior court for the State of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1852, and is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited jurisdiction within the state...
but the appeal was dismissed. Ansett appealed the Supreme Court decision to the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
in October 1979, but employed Wardley from 5 November pending the outcome of the case.
During classroom training, Ansett attempted to sack her by claiming she had been at fault in a near-miss incident at Moorabbin Airport
Moorabbin Airport
Moorabbin Airport is a general aviation airport for light aircraft located in Mentone, Victoria, Australia. The airport grounds are treated as their own suburb, designated the postcode 3194. The airport opened in December 1949. Originally the intent was to name the airport "Mentone" but this was...
despite an inquiry exonerating her and identifying the other pilot as at fault. Ansett backed down after unions stepped in.
When classroom training was completed in December 1979, she was not assigned to training aircraft despite the male trainees progressing to flight training. Ansett Airlines had been taken over by Peter Abeles
Peter Abeles
Sir Peter Emil Herbert Abeles, AC was an Australian transportation magnate. A refugee from Hungary, he became one of the most powerful businessmen in Australia, and was knighted in 1972.-Life:...
and Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
in late 1979. Wardley had previously trained Murdoch's brother in law, John Calvert-Jones, to fly. She telephoned Calvert-Jones in early January 1980 informing him of the situation. Two days later Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
issued a memo directing that she was to be treated the same as the male pilot candidates. She commenced flight training immediately and made her first commercial flight co-piloting a Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
from Alice Springs
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
on 22 January 1980.
The High Court dismissed Ansett's appeal in March 1980. The case is still used as a precedent
Precedent
In common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a principle or rule established in a legal case that a court or other judicial body may apply when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts...
.
Later career
Wardley progressed to jet aircraft, going on to fly the McDonnell Douglas DC-9McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
, Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
and Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
with Ansett Airlines. She was one of 1,640 pilots who resigned en masse following the 1989 Australian pilots' strike
1989 Australian pilots' strike
The 1989 Australian pilots' dispute was one of the most expensive and dramatic industrial disputes in Australia's history. It was co-ordinated by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots after a prolonged period of wage suppression, to support its campaign for a large pay increase The 1989...
. She briefly returned to teaching and had her first child, Thomas, in January 1991. She published her autobiography in 1992.
In 1993 she moved to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and joined KLM as a Fokker F50
Fokker F50
The Fokker 50 is a turboprop-powered airliner, designed as a refinement of and successor to the highly successful Fokker F27 Friendship. The Fokker 60 is a stretched freighter version of the Fokker 50. Both aircraft were built by Fokker in the Netherlands...
pilot. In 1994 she became a Fokker F50 instructor. In 1998 she became Flight Safety Manager and Chief Flight Safety Investigator for KLM Cityhopper. As of 2007 she is a senior Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
captain
Pilot in command
The pilot in command of an aircraft is the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the "captain" in a typical two- or three-pilot flight crew, or "pilot" if there is only one certified and qualified pilot at the controls of...
with KLM.
Now divorced, she has resumed using the name Deborah Lawrie. In a 2004 interview, she said she plans to return to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
when she reaches the European pilots' retirement age of 56.
External links
- High Court of Australia: Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd v. Wardley (1980) 142 CLR 237
- Ansett trainee pilots, Deborah Wardley and Felicity Bush, 1981 (National Archives of Australia)
- Equal opportunity pioneer celebrates 25 years in the skies (Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission)