Lost luggage, missed connections, and the general chaos of travel fade away as we arrive at Essendon Fields Airport. This airport isn’t just a place to catch a flight. It’s a living museum of Australian aviation history. Essendon Fields Airport began its journey in 1921 as Essendon Aerodrome. The Commonwealth Government proclaimed it. Before that, the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Aero Club used it. They called Point Cook home initially. The Aero Club called Essendon home until the late 1940s. Then, they moved to Moorabbin Airport.
Imagine the early days. Grass runways stretched out before you. H.J. Larkin, Captain Matthews, Bob Hart, and Major Harry Shaw were among the first tenants. They arrived in December 1921. Names like Sir Charles Kingsford Smith graced this very ground. He visited the airport several times. On August 16, 1926, a crowd of 70,000 people gathered here. They welcomed aviation pioneer Alan Cobham. He landed his de Havilland DH.50 floatplane. He flew all the way from England to Australia. Essendon Aerodrome witnessed the first parachute jump by a woman in Australia. Jean Burns, a seventeen-year-old Aero Club member, took the leap on November 21, 1937. She jumped from a DH4. Hundreds watched as she landed in a nearby paddock.
The airport expanded in the 1930s. In 1946, the Country Roads Board upgraded the north-south runway. It became a concrete tarmac measuring 4,800 feet long and 150 feet wide. They also built a new east-west runway. It measured 6,100 feet long and 200 feet wide. Cement shortages meant it was built with flexible-type pavement and sealed with bitumen.
Essendon became Melbourne’s first international airport in February 1950. It was renamed Melbourne Airport. A year later, the first international commercial flight arrived from New Zealand. The 1950s brought larger jets like the Boeing 707. Essendon Airport couldn’t handle them. It was too small. Houses surrounded the airport, making expansion impossible.
In 1959, the government acquired land in Tullamarine for a new international airport. Construction began in the 1960s. By 1967, it could handle aircraft. But it wasn’t ready for passengers. Essendon stopped being Melbourne Airport. The new airport was taking shape quickly. Commercial international flights moved to Tullamarine in 1970. Domestic flights followed the next year. Ansett Airlines and Trans Australia Airlines were major airlines here. They operated until services moved to Tullamarine. Aircraft like Lockheed L-188 Electras and Boeing 727s graced these runways.
Essendon has seen some notable arrivals. In 1964, The Beatles waved to fans from the terminal building. In 1967, United States President Lyndon B. Johnson landed here for Harold Holt’s memorial service. Air Force One was too heavy for Essendon’s tarmac when refueled. So it flew empty to Tullamarine.
In 2001, the government sold management rights to Edgelear Pty. Ltd. Today, Essendon Fields Airport serves corporate jets, charter flights, and general aviation. It also houses the Victorian Air Ambulance, Royal Flying Doctor Service, and Victoria Police Air Wing. In November 2017, the airport was renamed Essendon Fields Airport. This reflects the name of the suburb. The terminal underwent a major renovation in 2019. It was the first since 1959. The Essendon Airport Air Traffic Control Tower is on the Commonwealth Heritage List.
Essendon Fields Airport continues to evolve. It balances aviation with non-aviation uses. As we stand here, we’re not just at an airport. We are at a place with stories etched into its very fabric. It is a testament to Australia’s pioneering spirit in aviation.