NOLA ROSE
Initially all photographs were black and white, and so it was necessary to have these reproduced in colour in the form of a painting.
The first such reproduction was done on a golden background, and later productions to promote the new Vickers Viscount 720 aircraft (1954) all had a blue background.
Nola Rose was the face of TAA for more than 25 years, but she was never a hostess with TAA, she was a model. She was identified on Bondi beach by the then Publicity Manager, Ian Sabey, as being the perfect image for a new airline.
Initially the draft poster was rejected by the Chairman Sir Arthur Coles because Nola was “too pretty”, however shortly after that, he left the ANAC and the poster was put into circulation. The rest is history.
What quickly followed was recruitment to undertake a photographic session and produced a number of photographs that were suitable for the marketing campaign.
These images were used extensively in a marketing campaign leading up to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
NOLA ROSE
The traditional uniform varied only slightly over the years 1946 to 1964, retaining the white uniform for summer, and navy (or dark) blue for winter, with revisions of uniform accessories.
The image of Nola Rose and the slogan – Fly the Friendly Way – set the theme for years to come, only fading from view with the changing of the airline name in 1986, when it became AUSTRALIAN Airlines.
More information on the uniforms work during this period and more can be found here.
NOLA ROSE
A good example of the lasting image of TAA was seen with the issue of timetables over the years, when Nola Rose would appear in the changing uniforms of the numerous eras of change in TAA. More information on TAA Advertisements can be found here.
All the images here are adaptations from the original photographs.
Nola Rose died on the 22/12/1986 at the age of 58.
Myra Page
"Did you know that before Nola Rose graced everything TAA printed, there was a TAA hostess named Myra Page who started the tradition? The earliest evidence the Museum has found so far is the March 1948 issue of Trans-Air (Vol. 1, No. 6), in which Myra discusses "Feminine Phobias" — what we'd now call the fear of flying."
