Obituaries Australia

Patricia Earhart was three years old when her famous cousin, the aviatrix Amelia Earhart, disappeared over the Pacific during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe.

As Earhart grew up she learnt about the mystery and speculation surrounding the great woman's disappearance and later assumed her cousin's restless sense of adventure, travelling to the reaches of the Earth.

She was the first white woman to have been seen trekking in tribal areas of New Guinea. She also trekked the Himalayas of India, Nepal, Pakistan and New Zealand, visited Antarctica and ultimately settled in Australia.

In the process, Earhart developed a lasting concern for the Tibetan people, whom she met as refugees and saw how they were suffering from the ravages of foreign occupation.

The president of the Australian Tibetan Society, Namgyel Tsering, said: ''Her life was devoted to the welfare of so many people, particularly Tibetan children and their families, for most of her life. She did this in a rather low-key manner without expecting any form of credit.

''Pat contributed so much in our work for the causes of Tibetans and Tibet. She was a compassionate, gentle and caring person and highly valued and respected.''

Patricia Earhart was born on November 30, 1934, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She was the elder of two daughters of a farmer, Richard Earhart, and his wife, Lenore (nee Wood).

She grew up in the American heartland and graduated from the University of Michigan. Tall, lanky and physically gifted, Earhart trained in ballet and innovative dancing and became a competitive figure skater and a college champion in slalom and downhill skiing. In 1960, living in the small mountain town of Aspen, Colorado, she earned a living with her 90-words-a-minute typing skills.

What extra she earned went to several mission schools to educate the Plains Indians, a disadvantaged people who aroused her empathy.

Feeling hemmed in at home, she left to study abroad, first in Grenoble, France, and Lausanne in Switzerland, then the Sorbonne in Paris and the Universities of Vienna and Munich. She became fluent in French and German.

In 1969, inspired by letters from a friend, Earhart travelled to Australia. She got a job as a manager at the marine aquarium on Green Island, Queensland, became enchanted with the country and decided to settle.

In 1970 she took her first Himalayan trek to Nepal and met many Tibetan refugees along the trails. Her compassion for them fuelled her sense of mission and in 1974 she joined members of the Tibetan Friendship Group in a trip led by Namgyel Tsering, the first Tibetan to migrate to mainland Australia. They visited Tibetan refugees, saw the projects they were undertaking and in January 1975 the group had an audience with the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama was concerned about the destruction of Tibetan culture and the group agreed to form an organisation to preserve and publicise it. The upshot was the formation of the Australian Tibetan Society, with the Dalai Lama as patron and Namgyel as president.

Earhart, who was a member of the society, saw other ways of pursuing the cause for the Tibetan people. She joined the International Commission of Jurists. The commission president, John Dowd, QC, and the council of the commission said in a statement: ''Pat was most passionate about the issues concerning Tibet and often reported on her attendance at Tibetan functions and events she had attended as a representative of the ICJA.

''[Earhart's] support for the rule of law in Tibet and advocacy for the human rights of Tibetan people were known and much appreciated in the wider – and particularly Tibetan – community. Pat was a valued council member.''

Earhart extended her links to other organisations, including the Fred Hollows Foundation, the Himalayan Trust and several Native American charities.  In 1990 she became a member of the Society of Friends at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

In Australia, she enjoyed ballet and classical music. She also kept up her winter sports, returning to Aspen every year to visit friends and her beloved pistes. She loved to ski The Remarkables, near Queenstown in New Zealand, and some of the better-known resorts of Europe.

Patricia Earhart is survived by her nieces, Cecily Horton and Heather Flynn, and great-nephew, Andrew.