1934: Jimmy Melrose

Posted By Roger Codger on Apr 26, 2011 |

Aviator – Air Racer

Jimmy flew his Puss Moth from Australia to England so he could compete in the greatest air race of all time. When he got there they told him he had just beaten the Australia to England record!

From an article in the Holdfast Bay Discovery Centre:
“Between the years 1934 and 1936 Jimmy shot to fame with a remarkable career as an acclaimed international aviator and was, according to one national newspaper at the time, “one of the most romantic figures in the flying world of Australia”. Others called him “the new Lindbergh”. Yet fame did not go to his head; he remained affable, self-deprecating and devoted to his mother. Women of all ages adored him and still today, if you ask a 90 year-old woman if she remembers Jimmy Melrose, she will sigh and her eyes glaze over.”

Check out this FABULOUS audio interview about Jimmy, from ABC Adelaide. There is also a new book out about Jimmy, The Boy Phoenix, by Helen Blake.

Jimmy’s Puss Moth, 1934