Most of you reading this page will really enjoy this history of Point Cook 1914 to 2014. It was written by Steve Campbell Wright who has served in the RAAF for over 30 years. In his words he has ‘’aimed to write less of a military history and more of a social history’’
It is a great read full of interesting tales, still including the aircraft but also the people behind them.
It is the story of the planners, purchasers, mechanics, instructors, quartermasters and multitude of other trades and professions involved in the creation and development of initially the Central Flying School, through to the Australian Flying Corps, Australian Air Force and finally the Royal Australian Air Force. It is also the tale of human tragedy with many Airmen losing their lives at Point Cook.
There was a fair amount of uncertainty before that first Boxkite flight at Point Cook on 1st March 1914. This history makes the reader realise that political interference in military matters is nothing new!
Point Cook was not only the birthplace of military aviation in Australia but was vitally important to the overall development of aviation in this country
Point Cook in its heyday was almost a self-contained community with its own bank, school, shop, service station, sports grounds and even its own pier and Life Boat station.
The book has a wonderful selection of period photos and original plans (although my only criticism in the whole book is that the reproduction of the plans should have been larger so that the details were legible.)
The RAAF Museum has an extremely important exhibit and that is the Point Cook base itself.
After reading this history I was left feeling a bit melancholy. The possibility of “Duxford Downunder” was lost when the tenants were all evicted from the southern side of the base where there are many historical building left unoccupied and slowly rotting away.
At least Point Cook wasn’t sold off for housing as was the nearby Laverton airfield.
I thoroughly recommend this book and at only $25 it is a must have.
http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Publicatio...-1914-2014.aspx

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