This 1979 Department of Transport recruiting brochure for Air Traffic Controllers is a reprint of a brochure orginally published in 1977, itself a revision of an earlier brochure published in the 1960s. The brochure provides an interesting insight into operation of the Air Traffic Control system of the late 1970s, as well as the wages and conditions of the men (no women in those days) who manned it.

The cover photo is emblematic of the way people saw the future of air transport in the 1970s - speed and yet more speed. The first commercial Concorde service took place in 1976 and Australia's Department of Transport had undertaken extensive studies in preparation for the expected commencement of supersonic passenger services to and from Australia.

This historic photo shows the unmistakeable shape of the British prototype Concorde G-BSST (cn 002) departing Melbourne for Sydney with afterburners ablaze on 17 June 1972 during the first visit to Australia by Concorde. It had arrived in Melbourne the previous day on a proving and publicity flight.

In the event it was capacity and fuel efficiency that determined the future of air transport, and the SuperSonic Transport has faded into history.

(Brochure: CAHS collection; original 210 x 150 mm)

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