Final answer:
Amy Johnson was the first woman to fly from Australia to England and from Australia to South Africa, proving the capabilities of long-distance air travel despite initial skepticism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first woman to fly from Australia to England and Australia to South Africa was Amy Johnson. In the early days of aviation, long-distance flights were a significant challenge and many doubted the practicality of airplanes for such purposes. Despite skepticism from figures like Orville Wright, who once claimed that "No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris", Charles Lindbergh in 1927 proved it was possible to fly long distances when he famously completed the first solo transatlantic flight. Following in the footsteps of aviation pioneers, Amy Johnson embarked on her own historic flights, making her one of the notable women in aviation during that era. Neither Nancy Bird Walton, Amelia Earhart, nor Jean Batten were the first to complete both legs (Australia to England and Australia to South Africa) before Amy Johnson.