The Year That Made Me: Deborah Lawrie, 1979

Sunday Extra - Separate stories podcast · Apr 25, 2026 · 29m

1979 was the year Captain Deborah Lawrie fought for her wings. When her application to become a commercial pilot with Ansett Airlines was unsuccessful, she knew it wasn't because she was underqualified. Deborah brought Australia’s first equal opportunity anti-discrimination case to court, thinking she would be out of there in a day. But after a year of bitter legal battles, Deborah became Australia's first female pilot of a major airline, and paved the way for the women who came after her. Deborah Lawrie's memoir Touching The Sky is out now via Harper Collins.