Ivy May Pearce

Ivy May Hassard (née Pearce) (10 June 1914 – 26 April 1998) was one of the first female pilots in the southern hemisphere and a pioneer of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.[1] She is noted for her contribution to the cultural development of the Gold Coast, opening the first fashion boutique in Surfers Paradise in 1946.[2]

Early life

Pearce was born in Ipswich, Queensland, on 10 June 1914,[3] Queensland to George and Sarah-Ann (née Johnson) Pearce.[4] She was raised in a succession of hotels. At three years of age, in 1917, she fell ill with a lung condition that almost claimed her life. At six years old her parents decided to send her to Dalby, in the hope that the drier climate might help her recover.

Pearce and her younger sister, Merle, lived in the St Columba's Convent at Dalby, as this was the only place their parents could find for them to stay. At the convent she began piano lessons, at which she excelled. On her return to Brisbane she attended All Hallows Catholic School where she also learnt the cello and the violin. It was here that she also received her piano letters.

Aviator

Ivy Pearce was among the first cohort of women pilots in the southern hemisphere, and one of the first aerobatic pilots in Australia.[3] After leaving All Hallows, Pearce developed an interest in flying after her father gave her a Tiger Moth plane. In August 1934, at age 16 Ivy had her first flying lesson with Airlines of Australia pilot Captain Ernest Jason Hassard and was flying solo after seven and a half hours of instruction. Ivy spent many afternoons at the aerodrome at Archerfield, flying and studying aviation. Within a year she had completed 30 hours of solo flying and was twisting a Tiger Moth into manoeuvres in the sky.[3] She was soon flying around Surfers Paradise and went on to become one of Australia's first aerobatic pilots, by 18 Ivy had her A-class pilot's licence.[1]

Pearce was an aviator during the 1930s. One of her best friends of that period was Gloria (née Osborne) Pritchett of Bundaberg. Gloria frequently flew with Ivy in a two-seat configured biplane and was a bridesmaid at Ivy's wedding. Gloria resided in Coronado, California until she died in 2008.In 1934 Pearce was runner up in The Courier-Mail Flying Scholarship behind the winner Harry Poulsen. Pearce "was the only female among five males who scored free lessons and a year's membership to the Aero Club" (Clare Mackenzie, 1993).

Fashion

In 1946 Pearce opened the first fashion boutique on the Gold Coast. She used her own design and later organised fashion parades for the region, being some of the first fashion parades for that area.[9][10]

In the late 1950s she opened a beauty salon called Jollie Madame, named after her favourite perfume. By this time she had three children. Her marriage to Jason ended in 1950.

A fashion parade in August 1954, featuring the designs of Pearce (now Hassard) and business partner John Dolby, was marred by the discovery that others in the fashion industry in the audience were using spy cameras to photograph the designs.[11]

During the 1960s Pearce opened her third boutique, Ivy Hassard Fashions, which used to be at the ANA hotel site.

Later life

Due to her lung condition, she was not expected to live to child-bearing age. She defied medical authorities and survived to be 84. On 26 April 1998 Ivy Pearce died, the lung condition finally claiming her life, leaving behind three children and numerous grandchildren.

When her ex-husband Jason Hassard retired, he had completed 36,695 flying hours (the 2nd highest in the world).[12]

Legacy

In 1997, a strip of land on the corner of Ferny Avenue and Thomas Drive in Surfers Paradise was named Hassard Place in her honour.[13]

In March 2016, the Gold Coast Airport opened a new commercial building called the Ivy Pearce Building in her honour.[14] In 2020 the State Library of Queensland produced an episode on Ivy's achievements both in flying and fashion for their Dangerous Women Podcast series.[15]

External links

• 30840 Ivy Pearce Hassard Flying Jacket Memorabilia and Fashion Photographs 1934-1975 Held at State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
• 28860 Ivy Pearce Hassard Photographs and Papers 1927-1988 Held at State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
• 28° south: The rise and rise of aviatrix and fashion designer Ivy Hassard
• Ivy May Hassard (1914-1988) - Episode 2 Dangerous Women Podcast State Library of Queensland.