Hazel Holyman

Hazel "Matron" Holyman (née Gaunt; 17 March 1899 – 14 November 1992) was the first air hostess in Australia.

Early life Hazel Gaunt was born on 17 March 1899 in Launceston, Tasmania. She was the oldest of four children born to clerk Frederick Archer Gaunt and Mary Emmeline Gaunt. She attended Broadland House Church of England Girls' Grammar School. On 22 August 1921, she married aviator Victor Clive Holyman, a member of the Holyman family.

Holyman's Airways In 1932, Victor Holyman and his brother Ivan founded the airline Holyman Bros Pty Ltd, which was eventually named Holyman's Airways Ltd. As hostess, Hazel did not initially travel onboard flights. Instead, she was responsible for driving passengers to Launceston Airport, and providing them with blankets,

On 19 October 1934, Victor Holyman died when Miss Hobart, the airline's new De Havilland Express, crashed over the Bass Strait. Victor died, along with his co-pilot and all nine passengers onboard the flight. After her husband's death, Hazel left the airline while she grieved. she left Australia to travel throughout the United States and United Kingdom. Her service with ANA marked the beginning of formal training and policies for Australian air hostesses.

Holyman designed the uniforms used by ANA air hostesses.

As hostess superintendent, Holyman was responsible for training hostesses, overseeing laundry, and planning meals provided to passengers in-flight and at the Essendon passenger hotel. She flew to different states to interview potential hostesses, and had a reputation for expecting perfection from her employees, who nicknamed her "Matron Holyman". Holyman believed the nickname was meant to distinguish her from the other members of the Holyman family working at the airline, it also paralleled the title of nursing matron. Air hostesses were originally not provided with in-flight meals by ANA, but this changed at the insistence of Holyman.

There were 18 air hostesses at ANA when Holyman became air hostess superintendent, and 200 were working there by the time she retired in 1955.

Retirement Holyman was patron of the Down to Earth Club for former ANA flight hostesses from 1966 until her death. In 1980, Holyman was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM). In 1988, she received an Advance Australia Award for services to aviation. She died in Launceston on 14 November 1992.