Hangar 3 was constructed in 1937 at Essendon Airport
This hangar was Ansett Airways Limited first hangar at Essendon Aerodrome and the first building constructed by Ansett.
The building was unfortunately hit by a disastrous fire on the 28th February 1939.
The fire, which quickly spread throughout the hangar, was thought to have broken out in the fuselage of one of the aircraft. Seven aircraft in total were destroyed including Ansett’s original passenger aircraft, Fokker Universal VH-UTO, and Porterfield 35/70 Flyabout VH-UVH, in which Reg Ansett had won the Brisbane to Adelaide air race in 1936.
Despite this 1939 disaster, Ansett would go on to recover and eventually take over its neighbour and larger rival of the time ANA in October 1957 to form Ansett-ANA.
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