Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) has marked its namesake Nancy-Bird Walton's 111th birthday by unveiling a suite of new Nancy-Bird Walton inspired features at the global gateway, from public roads to a unique public art installation.
The airport precinct includes the following Nancy-Bird Walton tributes:
· WSI's Air Traffic Control Mast for its Digital Aerodrome Service (DAS) – is named Walton Tower, with departing and arriving pilots expected to use the official callsign 'Walton';
· Public roads – Nancy Drive which is the key thoroughfare running from Elizabeth Drive into the heart of the airport precinct, Trailblazer Drive which connects Nancy Drive with Badgery's Creek Road, and Barnstormer Way which is home to WSI's Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC) and Aviator Road;
· Digital Imagery & Children's Play Areas – All check-in kiosks at WSI have stunning digital images of the pioneering aviator Nancy-Bird Walton as the home setting. At the domestic gates children's play areas – The Dream of Flight, Future of Flight, and Angel of the Outback – pay tribute to Nancy-Bird Walton and give parents a place to engage with their little ones before boarding their flight; and
· Nancy-Bird Walton Public Art Installation – Perched on the wall of the terminal above the travellator at its domestic departure gates, is Blue Mountains-based artists' Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro's flagship artwork, 'My God! It's a Woman!!' that transforms Walton's de Havilland into an expansive 3D wall-mounted model.
The public art installation was developed in partnership with UAP, Urban Art Projects and pays homage to Nancy-Bird Walton as Australia's first female commercial pilot.
The piece features a Gipsy Moth biplane as a 3D blueprint, honouring her work connecting remote communities, which earned her the nickname 'The Angel of the Outback'.
WSI CEO Simon Hickey said the airport was excited to be able to pay tribute to an important Australian aviation pioneer who helped shape the industry.
"Nancy-Bird Walton's story is one of courage, curiosity, and determination, and one that continues to inspire all Australians to this day. We're thrilled to honour her remarkable legacy and for passengers to connect with her pioneering spirit that inspired our airport's name," he said.
"Nancy-Bird Walton's legacy will live on permanently from Sunday 25th October when we open for passenger services and become Sydney's newest international gateway."
Mr Hickey said WSI was also commissioning a new bust sculpture, to be developed over the next 12 months, that will sit permanently at the airport.
"The bust will be designed and delivered in our precinct and be accessible to the public, symbolising Nancy-Bird Walton's everlasting legacy," he said.
"These artworks, public roads, kids' play areas and tower all share one thing – they honour Nancy-Bird Walton – while also creating moments of discovery and reflection for millions of passengers, while undoubtedly inspiring future generations."
Benjamin Clay, Associate at UAP, Urban Art Projects said they worked alongside an exceptional team of collaborators, including the inimitable Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro.
"Rather than setting our sights on opening day, we began with legacy – asking what enduring creative outcomes might redefine expectations of airport infrastructure, introduce audiences to the very best of Australian artistic practice, and stay with travellers long after their journey," he said.
"We worked backwards from this vision to realise a program worthy of the significance and promise of the site and its namesake."
Artists Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro said that Nancy had made many of her achievements through hard work, talent, and true grit.
"Nancy-Bird's legacy is the perfect inspirational antidote for our present age. Funny, capable, kind, intrepid, a true visionary: Nancy-Bird was both an aviation pioneer and a vanguard feminist," they said.
"We hope that the celebration of her name through WSI will lead present and future generations to learn more about her life and legacy."
The flagship artwork and other commemorations are accompanied by Unboxing Air Archives, an interactive digital experience that transforms part of the international departures area into a mini-museum, inviting visitors to discover the stories of aviation pioneers connected to Western Sydney.
Also delivered in partnership with UAP, and created by Studio ESEM, AX Interactive and Billy Bain in collaboration with the Powerhouse Museum, the seven-screen installation digitises some of Nancy-Bird Walton's memorabilia and tells her story and two other aviation pioneers – Len Waters, Australia's first Aboriginal fighter pilot; and Andrew Delfosse Badgery, an early Western Sydney aviator.?
WSI is also set to unveil other artworks soon, inspired by First Nations artists and the people, places, and cultures of Western Sydney and Dharug Country. The approach reflects the diversity of voices that make Western Sydney the city's cultural heartland.