I just came upon this article as I often do while searching the most wonderful online resource TROVE, from the National Library of Australia. It contains digital copies of newspapers from all over the country and its coverage now extends to the 1950s for most regions and much later for places like Canberra. The past pupil featured, Jan Kline, started at Kilbreda in Form II in 1951 and finished after completing Intermediate in 1953. Among her class mates were a number who have featured in newsletter articles this year such as Marlene Watkin and Sr Angela Ryan, as well as two other Brigidines Pauline O’Callaghan, who died in recent years and Mary (Moira) Broderick who still lives at Malvern.

“Flying” is her Hobby

Three years ago, young Jan Kline began to build model aeroplanes in her mother’s kitchen. Sawdust, glue, nuts and bolts wrre scattered around the house.

Now 13 and an active member of the Parkdale Aeromodel Club, Jan flies her ‘stunters’ in the park every Sunday. Dressed in an old jumper and jeans, she guides her plane with a 60ft cable and makes it ‘dogfight’ loop and dive.

Jan, a student at Kilbreda Convent, hopes to study science later. But her present ambition is to win the Moorabbin Flying Club scholarship for 17-year-old girls. Even flying model planes is a thrill to Jan. She swaps engines, and builds new planes to fit them.

She knows all the different types — powerful stunters, free-flighters and radio-controlled models, which travel at 60mph over a range of three miles. Team racers, small and fast, go up in fives, and race for 140 laps. The engine is refuelled and checked between laps. These model planes are painted in all colours of the rainbow. Jan’s latest model is covered with pink elephants sipping champagne! Mrs Tony Farnan, another member, owns a confectionery shop and she and her husband have built a radio – controlled plane which will drop sweets.

The Victorian Aeronautical Association has about 1000 members, but only a few are women.

One of them Is Mrs Ron McLaren, of Parkdale. Her son, Don, recently went to Europe to compete in the international model aeroplane championships.

Model aeroplane flying is not an expensive hobby. The engines cost £8. Club members “swap” them regularly – Jan finds that at parties she can now keep up with the boys’ “post mortems” on engines after club meetings.

Damian Smith
Archives

The Herald Tuesday May 26 1953, page 12