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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-16 Daily Xml
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MURIEL MATTERS

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:32): Today is the 103rd anniversary of the balloon flight over London by South Australian suffragist Muriel Matters. Most of you will have some knowledge of Muriel's adventure that day. In the afternoon of 16 February 1909 at the Welsh Harp, Hendon, armed with a megaphone and 56 pounds of handbills in the Women's Freedom League colours of gold, white and green, Muriel boarded a two-person basket attached to a framework under an 81-foot dirigible with the words 'Votes for Women' emblazoned on one side of the bag and the giant initials 'WFL' on the other.

Unfortunately, the aircraft, with its intrepid travellers, was blown off course, which was planned to be over the king's procession to Westminster to open the new parliamentary session—something we did here this week. Muriel and the pilot, Captain Spencer, landed in a field in Coulsdon. Boasting a less than 60 horsepower motor with a top speed of eight miles per hour, it is perhaps not surprising. The balloon flight lasted 1½ hours and rose to a height of 3,500 feet.

While I do not have time to relate the reason for the flight today, it is my pleasure to inform the house that new material has come to light on the flight itself, sourced with the tireless help of the Muriel Matters Society and the sleuthing done by Wendy Herbert on links sent by a Hastings woman, Marilyn Saklatvala, a new contact who lives in Pelham Crescent, Hastings, in a terrace house one along from Muriel's which now boasts a blue heritage plaque. Muriel lived there until she entered a nursing home shortly before her death in 1969.

It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the marvellous work of Marie Maddocks for all her research and support from the very beginning of the society and also Steven Anderson for his outstanding groundbreaking work. Research continues with the help of Matters family members and an ever growing team of international Muriel devotees.

While it is not yet known how much the WFL paid for the daring flight, a lot more is now known about the history surrounding it and the family of the aeronaut involved, Herbert Spencer. According to the web source Flying Machines, the first member of the Spencer family to be airborne was Edward Spencer, born in 1799, who made a balloon ascent from the Surrey Zoological Gardens on 28 May 1836—coincidentally, the year of this state's settlement. His son, Charles Green Spencer, born in 1837 (named after Charles Green, his famous pioneering balloonist godfather) was also an aeronaut. Charles founded the firm of CG Spencer & Sons, pioneering an ingenious safety envelope design for balloons, and he also made an important contribution to the development of cycling.

The already busy Charles fathered 11 children. His eldest son, Percival, was born in 1864, and founded Spencer Bros Ltd at Highbury with his brother, Arthur Charles, who was born in 1866. They concentrated on ballooning and parachuting, although Charles also made a glider in 1868. It was made from umbrella wires and wickerwork. The framework of the wings was covered with silk and it was a tight, uncomfortable contraption to operate. He also collaborated with a Mr W. Stirling to run an aeroplane factory in 1910. Percival held many records and had made 1,000 ascents by 1901. He crossed the English Channel many times and was internationally known. With his brother Stanley he made a world tour between 1890 and 1893, visiting locations such as India, Singapore, Egypt, Indonesia and Japan.

Arthur Charles has another claim to our interests. He visited Australia in 1897 making several sensational parachute descents. Early research also calls him a gold prospector while in Australia. We learn from the publication Balloon History that he broke his thigh in 1909, landing on a Melbourne tombstone, although we do not yet know whose. While here he also attempted an epic flight in a race with a balloon almost full, with 80,000 cubic feet of coal gas. Hit by a sudden gust of wind, it lifted 12 men and 220 sandbags before it escaped the net and was lost forever. There is definitely more to learn there.

The youngest son, Herbert, born in 1884, a contemporary of Muriel's, understandably became involved with his brothers with balloons and parachutes but he also made and flew his own aircraft, the Spencer Biplane, receiving Aviator's Certificate 124 in August 1911. He ran a flying school between 1912 and 1913.

With this background in place we can move to the subject of aerial advertising. According to J.F. Ptak Science Books the business of brand advertising and bombing people and places from airplanes was fresh in the history of invention when one of the very first examples—an advertisement for the laxative Purgen—appeared in The Illustrated London News on 18 May 1912. However, this is some three years after Muriel's flight and so the Spencer family history helps put it all in context.

Spencer Airship B was probably built around the time of 1908 but it was still in use in 1913, in time to advertise Bovril. It was in May 1908 that Spencer Airship B made an ascent from Wandsworth in South West London but it crashed on 4 May 1908. It was the rebuilt Spencer B that became Muriel's dirigible in what was the first successfully landed passenger-carrying, powered flight over London. This was the most dangerous of Muriel's adventures in the quest for women's votes and shows the true pioneer she was, more than deserving the sobriquet 'that daring Australian girl'.

Time expired.

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