• Air Traffic Services:
  • Tower Control
  • Approach Control
  • En-route Control
  • Aeradio/Flight Service
• air/ground & ground/ground communications equipment
• radio navigation beacons & radar
• airport lighting & visual approach guidance
• flight calibration of navigation aids

Special Exhibitions

The CAHS stages regular Special Exhibitions at the Airways Museum using material from our extensive archives. These Exhibitions have included:

• 2005-6 - Civil Aviation in Pre-Independence Papua & New Guinea
• 2006-7 - Australia's Civil Empire Flying Boats & their Bases

Tours of the Airways Museum are available on Tuesdays 9am-3pm and at other times by appointment. Groups are welcome and a meeting room is available. Entry is by gold coin donation for individuals, $4 per head for group tours (including tea/coffee & bikkies, and a guided tour).

The Museum is located at Essendon Airport, Melbourne, Victoria, at the rear of Building 44 which is located on the corner of Lionel St & Wirraway Rd. Melway Map Ref 16 C7. Enter via the laneway at the rear of Building 44. Click here for a map.

Click here for our Virtual Tour of the Airways Museum

The Civil Aviation Historical Society exists to preserve the history of the Department of Civil Aviation, its predecessors and successors. The Society holds bi-monthly meetings with guest speakers at the Museum and visitors are welcome. Film Nights, featuring films from the CAHS archives, plus an annual Open Day are featured on the year's programme.

The Society also maintains an archive of photographs, documents, publications and films. The archive is open to researchers by appointment.

Full membership of the Society is open to current and former employees of the DCA, its predecessors and successors. Associate membership is open to all other people with an interest in aviation history.

Society Membership

CAHS membership is currently A$15 per year for Full Members and A$10 for Associate Members. Download and print a membership application form here.

Airways Museum Volunteers

The CAHS operates the Airways Museum on behalf of Airservices Australia. It is staffed entirely by volunteers. To read about our Museum volunteers, or about becoming one yourself, click here.

Charitable Donations

The Civil Aviation Historical Society’s Gift Fund is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a deductible gift recipient. Donations of $2 or more to the CAHS Gift Fund can be accepted in cash or by cheque and are claimable as a tax deduction (cheques need to be made out to the CAHS Gift Fund).

Civil Aviation Historical Society/Airways Museum contacts:

Telephone: (03) 9374 3905 or +61 3 9374 3905 (international)

Email: cahs@optusnet.com.au

Postal address: Box 6, 20 English St, Essendon Airport, Victoria 3041

President: Roger Meyer. Ph: (03) 9818 4950 (h)

'Webmaster': Phil Vabre or (03) 9432 9287 (h)

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Other Branches

There are also branches of the CAHS in South Australia and Western Australia - contact us at the address above for details of the CAHS(SA) and click here for the CAHS(WA). These branches also maintain displays at the West Torrens Railway Signal Telegraph and Aviation Museum, and the RAAF Association Heritage Museum at Bull Creek respectively.

This site was designed by David Williams with assistance from Phil Vabre.

In addition to material from the Museum and CAHS archives, contributions have been gratefully received from many people including Roger Meyer, Brian Wise, John Waldron, Geoff Goodall, John Hopton, John M Smith, Mac Job, Roger McDonald, Dr Leigh Edmonds, Richard Hitchins, Ern Mainka, Ed Coates, Ron Cuskelly, Fred Niven, David Eyre, George Canciani, and Richard and Barry Maclean.

Any errors on this site are the responsibility of Phil Vabre. Contributions and/or corrections from visitors are very welcome.

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