Looking Back - 1939 to 2011 - the Autobiography of Robert V. J. Padula, OAM

1948 - Fishermen's Bend Aerodrome

Home
1941 - Bikes and Cars
1943 - Hiking - Hills and Coasts
1944 - Growing up in the War Years - Part 1
1944 - Growing up in the War Years - Part 2
1944 - Growing up in the War Years - Part 3
1945 - Auburn schooldays - Part One
1945 - Auburn Schooldays - Part Two
1945 - Auburn Schooldays - Part Three
1945 - Upwey and the Puffing Billy
1945 - Gramaphones and Record Players
1946 - Flinders St Station
1946 - Astronomy
1946 - Beach and Swimming Adventures
1946 - Going to the Pictures
1947 - Adventures at the Altona Bungalow
1947 -The Listener-In Magazine
1947 - Balwyn WIldlife Sanctuary
1948 - Fishermen's Bend Aerodrome
1948 - Radio Australia QSL cards
1948 - Excursions
1949 - Australian Rules Football
1949 - Radio Monitoring at Auburn
1950 -Trains and Ships
1950 - Radios for Communications
1950 - Radio Listening Clubs in Australia
1950 - World Radio TV Handbook
1950 - Shortwave Radio Propagation Research
1950 - Medium Wave Radio Propagation Research
1950 - Radio and Hobbies Magazines
1950 - Discovering shortwave radio at Auburn
1951 - Photography
1951 - Competitions on local radio stations
1952 - Camp Buxton - YMCA Shoreham
1952 Tennis and Ten Pin Bowling
1953 - Stamp Collectiong
1953 Camberwell High School
1954 - Royal Visit to Melbourne
1954 - Shortwave Radio reception at Auburn
1956 - Melbourne's Olympic Games
1956 - Trainee Telecommunications' Technician
1957 - Trainee Technician - field work
1957 - National Service Registration
1958 - Laverton Air Show
1958 - MOOMBA Parade
1958 - Trainee Technician - field work
1959 - The move to Mont Albert
1960 - Working at Deepdene Telephone Exchange
1963 - Trade Unions, Staff Associations, Industrial Relations
1964 - Senior Technician work in the Melbourne CBD
1964 - Project support for Radio Australia
1964 - Project support for Radio Australia
1964 - Amateur Radio
1964 - Media Writing
1964 -Travels
1964 - Engineering Support for International Broadcasters
1965 - Professional Employment with PMG/Telstra
1967 - Professional Qualifications - Institution of Engineers Australia
1967 - Australian Radio DX Club Photo Gallery (to 1979)
1972 - Wireless Institute of Australia
1972 - Natural disasters in Melbourne
1980 - Australian Radio DX Club Gallery (to 1995)
1981 - Award of the Medal of the Order of Australia
1995 - Padula Books
EPILOGUE
LINKS TO AUTHOR'S PERSONAL WEBSITES
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEPENDENT BIOGRAPHIES
SPECIAL CHAPTER - Oldtime Australian Radio Drama from the 1930s
SPECIAL CHAPTER - Radio Monitoring Clubs in Australia - 1920 to 1949
SPECIAL CHAPTER - Melbourne Picture Theatres - History - 1906 to 1970

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1944 - Mosquito at Fishermans Bend

Fishermans Bend Aerodrome was located near the confluence of the Yarra River with Port Phillip Bay.
 
The area was mainly a vast swamp, and was owned by the Commonwealth Government.
 
In the early 1930s, a primitive airstrip had been built there, used  by gliding and light aircraft enthuasists,
 
In 1935, the Goverrmnt built the Conmnonwealth Aircraft Corporation factory there, together with a long sealed airstrip.  
 
In  the years 1935  to 1960, the CAC built many aircraft, including the Avro Lincoln, the Tiger Moth, thed Canberra bomber, the Sabre jet, the Beaufort, the Boomerang, the Mustang, the Winjeel, and the pilotless Jindavik.
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The factory housed a major design, development, research and manufacturing group, and in the 1940s, other manufacturing companies emerged adjacent to the CAC.
 
In 1948, The State Electricity Commission built a large staff training facility next to the CAC, which survived until 1981.
 
General Motors (Holden) set up its own enterprise nearby in 1947, resulting in the first Holden car coming off the production line in 1948.
 
In 1949, The PMG's Department set up its Lineman's Training School immediately next to the SEC facility, which endured until the early 1960s.
 
In 1956, I was in my first year of the PMG's Traineee Technician Course, and I spent four weeks at the Lineman's School, gaining an appreciation of transmission line and cable installation and maintenance practices.
 
The Lineman's School relocated to a new site in Doncaster in 1967, and the old site was taken over by a PMGs Engineering Work Centre for the pre-installation of small telephone exchanges, and ultimately managed by the Engineering Workshops.
 

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1941 - Wirraway at Fishermens Bend

Air Shows and Displays
In the years 1948 to 1958, the aerodrome and CAC were opened to the general public once a year, for viewing the factory complex, and static and flying displays of aircraft. I remember going to a display in 1948, which was attended by thousands of people.
 
Th Aerodrome was also the location for public car and motorcycle racing in the years 1949 to 1959,  using the main airstrip and the 3 km perimeter road. 
 
Westgate Bridge
As I have discussed in another Chapter, the Westgate Bridge construction began in the late 1960s, and aircraft consruction had ended at CAC. The CAC buildings were taken over by the Aeronautical and Maritime Research Laboratory and Platform Sciences Lab, next door to General Motors Holden Automotive. The former airstrip was integrated into Holden's operations.
 
A legacy of the past is the names of some of the streets in the area, such as Sabre Drive, Wirraway Drive, and Canberra Drive.
 
Westgate Park now occupies the area which was formerly part of the CAC land.
 

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1945 - Mustang at Fishermen's Bend

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1941 - Beaufort at Fishermens Bend

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1941 - Avro Lincoln at Fishermens Bend

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1930 - Fishermen's Bend

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1944 - Boomerang aty Fishmen's Bend

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1949 - car races at FIshermen's Bend

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