Maude Bonney

Maude Rose "Lores" Bonney, AM, MBE (20 November 1897 – 24 February 1994) was a South African-born Australian aviator.

After education first in Melbourne, at the Star of the Sea Ladies’ College and the Cromarty Girls’ School, in Elsternwick, she then attended Victoria-Pensionat in Bad Homburg, Germany in 1911 to advance her music studies at a finishing school, becoming an accomplished pianist but suffering from stage fright.

She took her first lessons (initially secretly whilst her husband played golf) with instructor Charles Matheson on 6 August 1930 and gained her private pilot's licence within the year.

When she told her husband about her flying, he bought her a de Havilland DH.60 Gypsy Moth which she named My Little Ship.

During the war, Bonney served on the executive of the Queensland branch of the Women's Voluntary National Register.

Lores Bonney was inducted into the "Ninety-Nines", the American society of women flyers who had pioneering roles in aviation.