I was in the very first batch of Civil Aviation Trainees back in 1949, and have so many fantastic memories of my time at Essendon Airport.

The first job handed out to trainees was “Find all the cables left behind by the RAAF etc, during the war!”

How we did this? I can’t be sure, however we definitely didn’t have a metal detector.

Three trainees were involved in this task. Pictured from left to right are Jim Davern, Howard Fabb and myself Colin Durrell.

A building we called the “Brick Store” is pictured below, which you’ll now know as 40 English Street! Upstairs was dedicated to weather monitoring, and the ground floor was home to Area(S) Control and consisted of an extensive equipment room.

And I remember once when a Fireman ran his Tender into a post.

His enthusiasm was such that he washed, cleaned and polished it and then drove it to the petrol bowser with wet boots on. His wet boot slipped of a pedal and the post drove the bumper well and truly into the tyre.

I didn’t stay to see how they regained it.

And I can’t forget when I saw the Queen herself arrive!