Meet Deborah Lawrie, the woman who took Ansett to court to become a pilot episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 31, 2026 · 17 MIN

Meet Deborah Lawrie, the woman who took Ansett to court to become a pilot

from Life Matters - Separate stories podcast · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Deborah Lawrie knew from the age of 16 that flying was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. But when she applied become a trainee pilot with Ansett in 1978, women were deemed unfit for the cockpit. So she took the airline all the way to the high court — and won. The landmark legal battle allowed a trailblazing woman to finally pursue her dream career, and paved the way for equal opportunity in Australia.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 31, 2026

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Meet Deborah Lawrie, the woman who took Ansett to court to become a pilot

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