Robin Elizabeth Miller (born 8 September 1940 – 7 December 1975), known as "The Sugarbird Lady", was an Australian

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

and

nurse Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

. The name "The Sugarbird Lady" was given to her by outback Aboriginal children during her work combatting

polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...

. She died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

at the age of 35.

Biography

Robin Elizabeth Miller was born on 8 September 1940 in Subiaco, Perth. Her mother was the writer Dame Mary Durack, and her father was an aviator, Captain Horrie Miller. After obtaining a private pilot licence and a commercial flying licence while training as a nurse, she approached the

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

n Department of Health to ask permission to fly to northern Western Australia to carry out a vaccination programme. Permission granted, she borrowed money for a

Cessna 182 Skylane The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engined light airplane built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats in the baggage area. Introduced in 1956, the 182 has been produced in a ...

and set out on her first flight on 22 May 1967. Travelling to remote communities, she would treat children with the Sabin vaccine in sugar lumps. She later flew with the

Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), commonly known as the Flying Doctor, is an Aeromedical retrieval, aeromedical retrieval service in Australia and the largest of its kind in the world. It is a non-profit organisation that provides urgen ...

(RFDS). In 1973 she married Harold Dicks, the director of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and became Robin Miller Dicks. Later that year she was sponsored along with Rosemary de Pierres to compete in the 1973 All Women's Transcontinental Air Race across the United States, also known as the

Powder Puff Derby The Women's Air Derby was the first official women-only air race in the United States, taking place during the 1929 National Air Races. Humorist Will Rogers referred to it as the Powder Puff Derby, the name by which the race is most commonly ...

, finishing sixth past the finishing post. Miller died of

on 7 December 1975 in South Perth, aged 35. Following her death, her husband set up a A$50,000 memorial foundation to help nurses acquire flying licences. She is remembered fondly in

Perth, Western Australia Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

; as well as the large memorial in

Jandakot Airport Jandakot Airport is a general aviation (GA) airport in Jandakot, Western Australia that opened in 1963, about south-southwest of Perth Airport. Originally built on unproductive farm lands, it is now among residential suburbs in the south of ...

, there is also a seminar room in the

Royal Perth Hospital Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) is a 450-bed adult and teaching hospital located on the northeastern edge of the central business district of Perth, Western Australia. History The hospital traces its history back to the first colonial hospital, whi ...

named after her, in addition to a road at

Perth Airport Perth Airport is an international airport, international, domestic airport, domestic and general aviation airport serving Perth, Western Australia. It is the List of the busiest airports in Australia, fourth busiest airport in Australia meas ...

: Sugarbird Lady Road.

Quotes

The Sugar Bird Memorial plane at Jandakot Airport

Two quotes from ABC's "George Negus Tonight" described her flying prowess:Transcript, George Negus Tonight
ABC television program Nancy Bird (a friend): Jandakot Memorial SMC 2006

Michael Page (publisher):

Awards

* Diploma of Merit — Associazione Nazionale Infermieri, Italy (1969) * Nancy Bird (Walton) Award — Australia's woman pilot of the year (1970) *

Paul Tissandier Diploma Paul Tissandier (19 February 1881 – 11 March 1945) was a French aviator. He was the treasurer of the ''Fédération Aéronautique Internationale'' (FAI) from its foundation (1905) to 1919, and its Secretary General from 1913 to 1945, and it aw ...

— Federation Aeronautique Internationale (posthumous) * Brabazon Cup — Women Pilots' Association of Great Britain (posthumous)

References

External links

'Dicks, Robin Elizabeth (1940–1975)', Australian Dictionary of Biography

Guide to the Papers of Robin Miller Dicks
MS Acc08.114. National Library of Australia
The Royal Flying Doctor Service
(PBS) {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Robin 1940 births 1975 deaths Health professionals from Perth, Western Australia Australian aviators Australian nurses Australian women nurses Australian women aviators

Biography

Quotes

Awards

References

Further reading

External links