Heroine Thrilled

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 983, 28 May 1930, Page 11

Heroine Thrilled

MET BY CHEERING CROWDS Journey Across Australia PROMOTER'S TRIBUTE TO HER COURAGE United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Received 11.5 a m. BRISBANE, Today. MISS AMY JOHNSON, the girl flier, together with her escort machine, reached Longreaeh last evening on her way across Australia from Darwin to Sydney. She is thrilled by her reception in Australia.

The party arrived at Alexandria station, Northern Territory, from Darwin on Monday evening and stayed the night there. Next morning Miss Johnson, accompanied by the Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service airplane, continued the flight. She reached Cloncurry, Queensland, a distance of 290 miles, at 12.30 p.m., taking the residents of the town by surprise, there being only five people at the airdrome to greet her. The girl flier and her escort left Cloncurry for Longreaeh (570 miles further to the south-east) at 1.15 p.m., her route being via Camooweal. MOBBED BY ADMIRERS Upon arrival at Longreaeh airdrome Miss Johnson was instantly surrounded by thousands of excited people, who literally mobbed her, and she had to be carried to safety byfour policemen. All the way to town she drove through cheering lines. She described the country between Darwin and Alexandria as appalling. The escorting planes got some idea of the immensity of the drops of her machine caused by air pockets. Sometimes her plane flopped 200 feet. Miss Johnson is the first EnglandAustralia flier to reach Alexandria from Darwin without trouble. She will stay tonight at Roma. Interviewed at Longreaeh Miss Johnson said: “Give this message to Australia: ‘I thank the whole of Australia from the bottom of my heart for the marvellous welcome. I bring good wishes from England to Australia, and to those of my own sex, I give my love. I am thrilled and I feel at home.’ ” BROADCAST TALK

Miss Johnson had a chat over the long-distance telephone with the Lord Mayor of Brisbane last evening. A message from Sydney says the Director-General of Post and Telegraphs advises that special arrangements have been made for Miss Amy Johnson to broadcast a talk to the people of Australia upon her arrival at Roma. It will take place at 7.30 in the evening. Shoals of congratulatory messages await Miss Johnson’s arrival there, one of the latest being from Mr. F. C. Chichester, of New Zealand, who recently flew from England to Australia. PROMOTER’S TRIBUTE British Official Wireless Reed. Noon. RUGBY, Tuesday. When Miss Johnson arrives at Brisbane she hopes to have a long-distance telephone talk with her parents in England. Lord Wakefield, who assisted Miss Johnson’s England-Australia venture, made reference to her during a speech today. He said: “If you ask me how it is that this young girl, with less than 100 hours of flying experience, was able to accomplish this long and dangerous journey on a machine that had already flown 35,000 miles, I would attribute It to her having three great qualities—courage, enthusiasm and efficiency.”

EMPIRE AIR ROUTES AUSTRALIA LINE URGED Reed. 1 p.m. LONDON, Tuesday. At the Chambers of Commerce Congress, on behalf of the London Chamber, a resolution was passed urging the importance of the Empire establishing a complete network of air routes. It also urged the Governments to extend the England to India air service via Singapore to Australia, thus establishing air routes and ground organisations which would eliminate the perils which Miss Amy Johnson faced. FUND FOR MISS JOHNSON Press Association INVERCARGILL, Tuesday. The Mayor of Invercargill, Mr. J. E). Campbell, announced today that he had decided to open a list of subscriptions for the purpose of forwarding some memento to Miss Amy Johnson in recognition of her achievement. Subscriptions would be definitely limited to one shilling. That the opening of the fund is unnecessary, and that any available money could be diverted to more useful channels in Invercargill, was the opinion expressed by members of the Otago and Southland General Labourers’ Union at a meeting of the Invercargill branch this evening. A resolution was carried as follow; “While we do not in any way wish to under-estimate the great bravery of Miss Johnson, we think that a shilling fund is altogether unnecessary. Miss Johnson, we understand, is not in need of financial help. We think that if there are any shillings to be collected they can be subscribed for our ow'n needs to help unemployment.”