Jessie Miller
Toronto Daily Star, December 1 1930
Jessie Miller (1902-1972) was found by an Australian sailor shortly after this photo appeared. Born Jessie Beveridge, she married journalist Keith Miller when she was 18. After giving birth to a child who died in infancy (and two miscarriages), Ms. Miller decided that she no longer wanted to be an Australian housewife.
While visiting family in London in 1927, she met pilot Bill Lancaster and persuaded him to take her as a passenger on a flight from England to Australia. She and Lancaster fell in love, though both were married. She acquired her pilot's license and became the only Australian woman to compete in the "Powder Puff Derby" of 1929, an American all-women race.
The two relocated to Florida and, in 1932, Lancaster was looking for work in Mexico while a writer, Haden Clarke, was living with Ms. Miller and working on her autobiography. Clarke and Ms. Miller fell in love in Lancaster's absence and planned to marry (Ms. Miller had obtained a divorce from her husband). On hearing this, Lancaster returned immediately to Florida and Clarke was killed by a shot to the head. The shot was from Lancaster's gun and he confessed to forging suicide notes found at the scene of the crime, but nonetheless he was acquitted of Clarke's murder.
The Great Depression made it difficult for Ms. Miller to raise money for further adventures. She eventually married pilot Johnnie Pugh in 1936.
As for Lancaster: his eventual fate was cruel. He crashed in the Sahara Desert in 1933 and died of thirst when no one was able to rescue him. His body was not found until 1962; his diary was found intact and was published with Ms. Miller's permission.
The People Australia website contains a detailed biography of Ms. Miller. I also found a Pathé film clip of Miller and Lancaster's original flight. A biography exists, titled The Fabulous Flying Mrs. Miller.
Created September 12, 2025.