Joseph Hammond was the son of Mrs. Mary Hammond; husband of Ethelwynd Hammond, of Airdale House, Seaford, Sussex, England

"A New Zealander by birth, he came to Australia with Sydney Smith selling Bristol Box-kites for defense purposes. In 1911 he made a name for himself flying remarkable distances for those days, from Perth to Altona Bay, to Geelong, to Melbourne, to Sydney. He had previously been a prospector in the Klondike , a trapper in Alaska and a cowboy in Buffallo Bill's Circus. His wife, a demure English lady, was the first woman passenger in a powered aircraft in Australia, after his mechanic named Coles" (email to the family from UK)

He was a member of the British Aviation Mission to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1918 to raise funds for the war.

Historical notes from Murray Mitchell: "One of the more colourful pilots to fly the type was Fielding born Joseph Hammond. Appointed New Zealand’s first official government pilot in late 1913 he was to fly a Blériot XI-2 (two seater) that had been presented to the New Zealand government. Dubbed Britannia, it was destined to become our first military aircraft. After several proving flights Hammond was ready to take a passenger, and as officials vied for the opportunity, the pilot elected to take a woman member of the Royal Pantomime Company instead. Miss Esme McLalland surely enjoyed the flight but officialdom was not amused. Hammond was sacked and the aircraft was placed in storage - to be returned to England in January 1915."

From New Zealand Aviation History - "1914 Joe Hammond, the first government-appointed pilot in New Zealand, flies over Auckland in a Bleriot monoplane to the awe of spectators at the Auckland Exhibition. JWH Scotland makes first long-distance flight, from Invercargill to Gore. He flies the 38 miles in 38 minutes." AWMM