Ivy May Pearce
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Ivy May Pearce (8 June 1914 - 26 April 1998) was a leading fashion guru for Vogue Australia, the first female pilot in the southern hemisphere and is still well known as one of the major pioneers of The Gold Coast, Queensland (Dwyer, N. 1998). Ivy was one of about 8 people who put The Gold Coast on the world map and in doing so, ensured its popularity as a leading holiday destination in Australia.
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[edit] Life
Ivy was born in Ipswich to George and Sarah-Ann Pearce and was raised in a succession of Hotels. At three years on age, in 1917, Ivy fell ill with a lung condition that almost claimed her life. Ivy struggled through life and by the time she was 6 her parents decided to send her to Dalby, Queensland, in the hope that the dryer climate may help her recover. Ivy and her younger sister, Mearle, lived in the Dalby Convent, as this was the only place their parents could find for them to stay. It was here that Ivy's talent for music was discovered.
Ivy began Piano lessons, which she excelled at. On Ivy's return to Brisbane she attended All Hallows Catholic School where she also learnt the cello and the violin. It was here that she also received her piano letters.
After leaving All Hallows, Ivy developed and interest in flying. Ivy was one of Australia's first aerobatic pilots. She took her first flying lessons aged only 16, and by 18, had her pilot's licence.
In 1937 Ivy married Jason Hassard and their three children had the freedom of a childhood in the essential beauty and ruggedness of a Surfers little more than a seaside town.
In 1939, Ivy's father George Pearce built the town's tallest building, Jason Flats in Appel Street, named after his first grandchild.
In 1946 Ivy opened the first fashion botique on the Gold Coast and her profile as a gold coast pioneer was created. In 1950 her marriage to Jason ended.
Due to Ivy's lung condition, Ivy was not expected to live to child bearing age. Ivy defied all medical authorities and survived to be 84. On April 26, 1998 Ivy sadly passed away, the lung condition finally claiming her life, leaving behind three children and numerous grandchildren.
[edit] Flying
"Ivy Pearce was one of the countries first aerobatic pilots" (Dwyer, N. 1998). In 1934 Ivy was runner up in the Courier-Mail Flying Scholarship behind the winner Harry Poulsen. According to Clare Mackenzie, (1993) Ivy "was the only female among five males who scored free lessons and a year's membership to the Aero Club". At just 16 Ivy had her first flying lesson and by 18, obtained her A Class pilots licence. Due to there being no other female pilots, let alone ones who could do loops in the air and were only 18 years of age, Ivy had trouble finding a game passenger. The famous Brisbane Catholic Archbishop James Duhig volunteered. Ivy once said "I've never been absolutely sure whether he put his faith in me of the Almighty on that occasion".
Her father gave her a Tiger Moth plane and at 18 she was flying around her home town of Surfers Paradise. She could be seen doing loops in the air and became Australia's first female aerobatics pilot.
From an article written by Mackenzie (1993) "Aerobatics was a speciality of Ivy's, whose participation in air races was well documented by the media - a group which grew to love the adventurous glamour girl and closely monitored her fur-trimmed flying fashions and speciality tailored suits. "When Ivy competed in the great Brisbane to Adelaide air race, she designed the light beige belted jacket and culottes that attracted so much attention from her fans"
It was that air race, on December 16 1936, that Ivy made national headlines as the youngest entrant who recorded the fastest time of any woman pilot, heavily handicapped and just two seconds behind the eventual winner. In this race she beat Reg Ansett, founder of Ansett Airlines.
[edit] Fashion
In 1946 Ivy opened the first fashion botique on the Gold Coast. She used her own design and later she organsied fashion parades for the region, being some of the first fashion parades for that area. Soon the small town was on the international fashion map. In the late 1950s she opened a beauty salon called Jollie Madame, named after her favourite perfume. By this time she had three children.
During the 1960s Ivy opened her third botique, Ivy Hassard Fashions, which used to be at the ANA hotel site.
[edit] References
- "A High Flyer Defies Years". Gold Coast Bulletin, December 14, 1989 pg 36
- Dwyer, N. (1998). "But Siprit Lives On". Gold Coast Bulletin
- Mackenzie, C (1993). "Ivy's brilliant career". Gold Coast Bulletin, December 7, 1993, pg 39
- Interviews with Ivy May Pearce prior to her death in 1998
- Interviews with her daughter, Laurene Hassard and nephew Greg Honeyman, 2007
- Wiseman, N. (1994). "Taking off". Courier Mail. 1st Week December, 1994
