MS 7936
National Library of Australia
View Catalogue Record
Created: September 2025
Collection Summary
- Creator
-
Freda Thompson
- Title
-
Papers of Freda Thompson
- Date Range
-
1921-1986
- Collection Number
-
MS 7936
- Extent
-
2.6 metres (5 ms boxes + 1 medium folio box + 1 small phase box + 1 map folio)
- Language of Materials
-
English
- Repository
-
Special Collections (Manuscripts)
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The papers contain diaries, log books, correspondence, newspaper cuttings, citations, certificates, invitations, air schedules, aircraft manuals, pilot's certificates and licences, passports, aircraft account cards, flight maps, radio scripts and other papers, medals, a slide rule, Thompson's cap and goggles and a photograph of Thompson beside her aircraft.
Conditions Governing Access
Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1025622).
Conditions Governing Use
Conditions for copying and publishing of this collection many apply, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1025622).
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], MS 7936, National Library of Australia, Papers of Freda Thompson, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Provenance
These papers were donated to the Library in 1990 by Freda Thompson's sister Mrs Claire Embling.
Bibliography
Goggles and God help you : pioneer airwoman Freda Thompson OBE and some of her contemporaries, by Joan Palmer, was published in 1986.
Biographical / Historical
First Australian woman to fly solo from England to Australia, 1934. Founding member of Royal Victorian Aero Club and Australian Women Pilots' Association. Awarded OBE in 1972.
Item Descriptions
Class. Papers of Freda Thompson
Series 1. Diaries, 1926-2 December 1967
Trip to Europe by ship and time spent in England, 1926 (Item 1) - Box 1
Very small 'Walker's Diary'. Housed in a small white envelope.
New Zealand diary, 18 March 1937-26 April 1937 (Item 2) - Box 1
Written on loose pages.
Round Australia flight, 15 May 1950-19 June 1950 (Item 3) - Box 1
Written on 'Australian Military Forces Note Book'.
New Guinea flight, 21 April 1952-24 May 1952 (Item 4) - Box 1
Written on 'Memo Book'. Includes annotated map of Papua New Guinea.
New Guinea flight, 25 June 1952-1 August 1952 (Item 5) - Box 1
Written on 'Memo Book'.
Tour of North and South America, 19 February 1963-19 October 1963 (Item 6) - Box 1
"Expo 67" England and Australian tour, 1 June 1967-2 December 1967 (Item 7) - Box 1
Written on "The RW Roughwork exercise book".
Travel in South Africa, India, Penang and Singapore, 22 April-15 September (Item 8) - Box 1
Series 2. Log books, 28 May 1930-4 May 1980
Pilot's log book, 28 May 1930-28 May 1940 (Item 1) - Box 1
Small blue log book.
Pilot's log book, 9 June 1940-27 March 1966 (Item 2) - Box 1
Small blue log book.
Pilot's log book, 30 August 1966-4 May 1980 (Item 3) - Box 1
Medium sized blue log book.
Journey log book, 28 September 1934-6 November 1934 (Item 4) - Box 2
Medium sized blue log book.
Series 3. Correspondence, 1934 - 1972
Correspondence, 1934 - 1972 (File 1) - Box 2
Includes U.K. Foreign Office receipts for sent telegrams; letter from Reginald Ansett, concerning the 1964 Air Race, including photo of Ansett and Thompson; congratulatory letters, telegrams and newspaper cuttings received on award of O.B.E.
Series 4. Newspaper cuttings, 1933 - 1986
Brown scrapbook, 1933 - 1934 (Item 1) - Folio-Box 6
Newspaper cuttings, 1939 - 1986 (File 2) - Box 2
Includes magazine article Women of to-day, Miss Freda Thompson, newspaper broadside title Air girl's 'plane hits tree, Evening Standard late special.
Series 5. Citations, certificates and invitations, 1921 - 1972
Citations, certificates and invitations, 1927 - 1972 (Items 1) - Box 2
Includes certificates from Toorak College; The National Ice Skating Association of Australia; The Women's Driving Tour; the Ansett Air Race; letters from His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen, requesting Thompson wear a medal in commemoration of both coronations.
Citations, certificates and invitations, 1921 - 1972 (File 2)
Certificate for pianoforte grade III, September 1921 (Item 2.1) - Folio-Box 6
Citations, certificates and invitations, 1932 - 1972 (Items 2.2) - Map-Folio 1
Includes certificate for the Aerial Derby Handicap; OBE citation.
Series 6. Flight charts, 1925 - 1974
Cootamundra-Melbourne flight chart, 1925 (Item 1) - Folio-Box 6
Air route 1 - sheet 1. Includes handwritten annotations.
Melbourne-Adelaide flight chart, 1926 (Item 2) - Folio-Box 6
Air route 5. Includes handwritten annotations.
Melbourne-Hay flight chart, 1930 (Item 3) - Folio-Box 6
Includes handwritten annotations.
Sydney-Brisbane flight chart, July 1934 (Item 4) - Folio-Box 6
Includes handwritten annotations.
Thursday Island-Bowen flight chart, n.d. (Item 5) - Folio-Box 6
Melbourne flight chart, 1961 (Item 6) - Box 2
Includes handwritten annotations.
Hamilton flight chart, 1963 (Item 7) - Box 2
Hamilton flight chart, June 1960 (Item 8) - Box 2
Adelaide flight chart, 1964 (Item 9) - Box 2
Canberra flight chart, 1965 (Item 10) - Box 2
Melbourne flight chart, 1966 (Item 11) - Box 2
Hamilton flight chart, 1974 (Item 12) - Box 3
Victoria flight chart, n.d. (Item 13) - Box 3
Series 7. Air schedules, Auguest 1934-September1937
Calcutta-Rangoon-Bangkok-Singapore-Batavia-Darwin, August 1934 (Item 1) - Box 3
Published by the Shell Aviation Department.
Darwin-Charleville-Melbourne, August 1934 (Item 2) - Box 3
Published by the Shell Aviation Department.
Cairo-Damascus-Aleppo-Bagdad-Jask-Karachi-Calcutta, September 1934 (Item 3) - Box 3
Published by the Shell Aviation Department.
London-Paris-Rome-(Athens)-Tunis-(Algiers)-Cairo, September 1937 (Item 4) - Box 3
Published by the Shell Aviation Department.
Aerodrome information: Brindisi, Athens, Nicosia (foolscap typescript), September 1934 (Item 5) - Box 4
Series 8. Aircraft manuals, 1931 - 1963
Manual of instructions for operation, maintenance and rigging of the Gipsy Moth, c. 1931 (Item 1) - Box 4
Two seater light aeroplane. Issued by The De Havilland Aircraft Company.
Care and maintenance of the 130 H.P. D.H. Gipsy Major, 1934 (Item 2) - Box 4
Aero engine. Includes a handwritten note on the inside cover.
Handling notes Cessna 172 - operations manual appendix "C", n.d. (Item 3) - Box 4
Issued by the Royal Victorian Aero Club.
Flight radio operator's manual, 1 June 1963 (Item 4) - Box 4
Issued by the Department of Civil Aviation. D>C> Publication No. 46.
Amplification - daily inspection schedule Gipsy Major engine, n.d. (Item 5) - Box 4
Series 9. Pilot's certificates and licences, 1930 - 1973
Private pilot's certificate and licence, 1930 (Item 1) - Box 4
Issued by the Commonwealth of Australia.
Pilot's certificate and licence for passenger, mail, or goofs flying machines (public transports), 30 April 1932 (Item 2) - Box 4
Issued by the Commonwealth of Australia.
Private pilot's certificate and licence (flying machines), 7 July 1934 (Item 3) - Box 4
Issued by Great Britian Air Ministry.
Flight crew licences, 1932 - 1979 (Item 4) - Box 4
Federation aeronautique internationale - sporting licence, 1973 (Item 5) - Box 4
Issued by The Royal Federation of Aero Clubs of Australia.
Licence in Arabic script, n.d. (Item 6) - Box 4
Series 10. Passports, 1926 - 1974
Australian passport, Issued 21 January 1926 (Item 1) - Box 4
A 41989.
British passport, Issued 30 March 1955 (Item 2) - Box 5
E 99327.
British passport, Issued 9 July 1962 (Item 3) - Box 5
E 378265. Includes International Certificate of Vaccination.
Australian passport, Issued 18 January 1967 (Item 4) - Box 5
G 259682. Includes International certificates of vaccination.
Australian passport, Issued 17 January 1974 (Item 5) - Box 5
H 458970.
Series 11. Aircraft account cards, 1938 - 1960
Shell company account card, c. 1939 (Item 1) - Box 5
Shell company account card, c. 1960 (Item 2) - Box 5
Vacuum Oil company account card, 1958 - 1960 (Item 3) - Box 5
Includes receipts.
Series 12. Miscellaneous, n.d.
Articles and radio broadcast typescripts, 1934 - 1983 (File 1) - Box 5
Typescripts include The Cedar Tree"; Australian airwomen; England-Australia; biographical articles on Freda Thompson; List of I.W.P.A. members as on 22 December, 1972; various articles on Freda Thompson; photocopies of envelopes and hand drawn drawing of Freda Thompson.
Series 13. Photograph, n.d.
Large photograph of Freda Thompson in flight gear, holding cap and googles, n.d. (Item 1) - Folio-Box 6
Photograph on a backing board. Includes a smaller photograph with Freda Thompson and her plane.
Series 14. Objects, n.d.
Slide rule and manual, n.d. (Items 1) - Box 5
Manual titled The Polyphase slide rule.
Coronation and war medals, n.d. (Items 2) - Folio-Box 6
Two coronation bow in red boxes and one war medal.
O.B.E. medallion, n.d. (Item 3) - Folio-Box 6
Housed in black box.
Medallions, n.d. (Items 4) - Folio-Box 6
R.A.C. Victoria medallion, third class medallion and two pins.
Freda Thompson's flying cap and googles, n.d. (Items 5) - Folio-Box 7
PIC OBJ A40009459.