Welcome!

You could say that Moorabbin Airport and its surrounding grounds make up the whole suburb with the postcode 3194. Moorabbin Airport is the second busiest airport in Australia by aircraft movements with over 295,000 flights per year. The Airport is regulated by the Australian Government. Moorabbin Airport is also home to Australia’s leading flight training school with many students coming from overseas. About 4,500 people are employed at the Airport with 250 businesses including 5% of the City of Kingston Workforce.

There is a large number of retail shops including the (DFO) Direct Factory Outlets and the Kingston Central Plaza. The Chifley Business Park is a business park located on the north and south eastern precincts. It has modern offices, underground car parking, a gym, cafe and childcare on site. Both the Airport and all the other facilities are owned by Goodman a global property group.

Jet into some Moorabbin Airport quick facts:

  • The Airport has an area of 294 hectares; there are 5 active runways, 2 heli pads, more than 20 taxiways and and 250,000 m2 of asphalt.
  • The Airport is bounded by Centre Dandenong Road to the North, Boundary Road to the East, Lower Dandenong Road to the South and Grange Road and Bundora Parade to the West.
  • The State electorates for Moorabbin Airport are the Clarinda District and the Mordialloc District.
  • The Federal electorate for Moorabbin Airport is the Hotham Division.

To discover more about Moorabbin Airport click on the tabs above.

Name origins

A need for an Airport in South East Melbourne was raised by aviators and Civil Aviation with land being bought in 1946. The Airport was opened in December 1949. Originally it was to be called Mentone Airport, however there was already a French Airport called ‘Menton’. Cheltenham Airport, perhaps? No, there’s an airport in the United Kingdom that goes by that name. So, Moorabbin Airport was decided on as a suitable name.

On 22 January, 1989 the airport was formally titled the Moorabbin “Harry Hawker” Airport, on the 100th anniversary of Harry Hawker’s birth. Access the Harry George Hawker: Australian Pioneer Aviator website.


Aerial View of Moorabbin Airport. Image courtesy City of Kingston.

Population

There are no population statistics for Moorabbin Airport because no one lives there!

  • Census DatePopulation

Events

  • 1946
  • 1949
  • 1955
  • 1960
  • 1962
  • 1966
  • 1970
  • 1971
  • 1977
  • 1978
  • 1989
  • 1992
  • 1997
  • 1998
  • 2004
  • 2006
  • 2010
  • 2015

1946

Prime Minister Ben Chifley announced on November 7 that land was bought for the Airport. The land cost $280,000. Access the Kingston Local History website.

Moorabbin airport ready soon (1949, March 5). The Argus. Image courtesy of Trove.

1949

The Airport was opened in December.

Preparing New City Airport (1949, August 19). Image courtesy of Trove.

1955

Airport traffic reaches 65,000 aircraft movements a year, mainly by the Royal Victorian Aero Club.
Tenants included Brian and Brown Air Freight, Super Spread Crop Dusting and Flinders Island Airways.

1960

The North/South runway was gravelled and the first roads were built.

1966

The runways and taxiways were asphalted, leading to increased air traffic.

1970

Sadly, airports do have their dangers and mistakes can happen. In October 1970, 5 people died when a helicopter and air ambulance collided mid-air over the Nepean Highway.

1971

Construction begins on factory and industrial areas around the airport. Runway lighting is installed.

1977

327,000 aircraft movements were recorded at the airport, and Commonwealth subsidised aviation encouraged many people to learn to fly.

Group of children and teachers from Chelsea Kindergarten visiting Moorabbin Airport 1977. Image courtesy: Leader Collection, City of Kingston.

1978

UFO mystery! Frederick Valentich was flying from Moorabbin Airport to King Island when he reported a metallic object orbiting on top of him. Mr Valentich and his single-engine Cessna 182L were never seen again despite a massive search for him. Access the Sydney Morning Herald Website.

1992

More Airport development. Fairway Leisure Market opens where DFO is now.

1997

Fairways Leisure Market is bought by Austexx Group, becoming the first DFO in Australia.

DFO Moorabbin Airport. Image courtesy City of Kingston.

1998

The Airport was privatised with the Moorabbin Airport Corporation (MAC) buying a 99 Year lease from the Australian Government.
Chifley Business Park construction begins.

2004

New developments proposed. Kingston Central Plaza established.

2006

Moorabbin Airport wins Airport of the year because of its programs to attract young people to aviation.

2010

In this year, 4,500 jobs were provided by Moorabbin Airport.

2015

Costco opens on November 17 on Airport land, bringing hundreds of new jobs to the area.

A new Costco store at Moorabbin Airport was officially opened this morning 17/11/2015. Pictured (from left to right): Moorabbin Airport CEO Paul Ferguson, Inga Peulich MLC, Miss Universe Australia Monika Radulovic, Hon Liliana (Lily) D'Ambrosio, Kingston Mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley, Cr Paul Peulich and Cr Geoff Gledhill. Image courtesy City of Kingston.

Places

Fareshare Community Garden.

If you think that the only interesting thing about ‘Moorabbin Airport’ is the airport, you might be surprised. Moorabbin Airport Corporation and Fareshare have partnered together to create a 3,000 square metre garden plot.

The charity gardens will grow pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, carrots, parsnip, leek, capsicum and a variety of other vegetables. The produce will be used to dish up more than one million free meals across Victoria! This is one of the largest charity gardens in Melbourne. You can volunteer to work in the garden on a Tuesday or a Thursday. Access the Fareshare website

Australian National Aviation Museum website.

The Air Museum began at the airport in 1962 with a small group of volunteers interested in the history of Australia aviation. There are over 50 planes with the collection growing yearly. Signicant examples of Australian aircraft have been saved including a Wirrawau A20-10. a Victa AirTourer and a DAP mk21 Beaufighter. The Australian Aircraft Restoration is a volunteer group working in the museum since 1962. Access the Australian National Aviation Museum website.

Wirraway at the Moorabbin Airport Museum, 1975. Image courtesy Leader Collection.

People

Gertrude Josephine "Mac" Mckenzie.

Gertrude Josephine ‘Mac’ McKenzie was born on 22 March 1904, she married Roderick George Mckenze 1931, having a son Graeme in 1932. In her mid-30s she learned to be a pilot, even though many people foolishly thought that a “woman’s place was in the home. Mac became a fantastic pilot, the best in her class. She was so good she went on to pilot war planes during flying exercises for World War II.

Just when you thought that was impressive enough, her sense of purpose drew her to become the second female councillor of Mordialloc and, eventually, the very first female Mayor. Not to mention she trained 73 student pilots! Unfortunately medicine was not as advanced then as it is now and she was diagnosed and fought breast cancer, only to pass away on 1 December 1960. Gertrude MacKenzie Reserve in Parkdale is named after her the plaque saying This reserve was named after Gertrude McKenzie, a Mordialloc Ward Councillor between 1955 and 1960; Mayor 1958. Gertrude was a pioneer in aviation in Australia.” Discover more at Access the Australian Flying website Access the Kingston Historical website


Cr Gertrude J McKenzie, Mayor of City of Mordialloc, 1958/59. Image courtesy of the Kingston Collection.

Fun Facts

For an emergency landing of a DC3 airplane local market gardeners lined their trucks to serve as markers along the airstrip.
1,250 flight students being trained by a dozen flight schools yearly.
345 aircraft are based at the Airport.

Moorabbin Airport, 2015. Image courtesy City of Kingston.

Hot Air balloons landing at Moorabbin Airport.

Hot Air balloons land at Moorabbin Airport 29th March, 2017. Image courtesy City of Kingston.

15,000 travel to King Island yearly from the Airport.

Harbour - King Island, Australia. Image courtesy Karl Barnfather at English Wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Air Ambulance and the Royal Flying Doctor Service work out of Moorabbin Airport for the emergency flights.

Photos


Aerial view of Moorabbin Airport c1960. Showing the beginning of the Moorabbin Airport Museum. Image courtesy Leader Collection.


Wirraway at the Moorabbin Airport Museum, 1975. Image courtesy Leader Collection.


Farman Shorthorn, Moorabbin, 1956. Image courtesy Museum Victoria.


Plane crash landing at Moorabbin Airport, 1975. Image courtesy Leader Collection.


Preparing New City Airport (1949, August 19). Image courtesy of Trove.


Cr Gertrude J McKenzie, Mayor of City of Mordialloc, 1958/59. Image courtesy of the Kingston Collection.


Aerial View of Moorabbin Airport. Image courtesy City of Kingston.


Hot Air balloons land at Moorabbin Airport 29th March, 2017. Image courtesy City of Kingston.


Moorabbin Airport, 2015. Image courtesy City of Kingston.


DFO Moorabbin Airport. Image courtesy City of Kingston.


Moorabbin airport ready soon (1949, March 5). The Argus. Image courtesy of Trove.


Group of children and teachers from Chelsea Kindergarten visiting Moorabbin Airport 1977. Image courtesy: Leader Collection, City of Kingston.


Harbour - King Island, Australia. Image courtesy Karl Barnfather at English Wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons


A new Costco store at Moorabbin Airport was officially opened this morning 17/11/2015. Pictured (from left to right): Moorabbin Airport CEO Paul Ferguson, Inga Peulich MLC, Miss Universe Australia Monika Radulovic, Hon Liliana (Lily) D'Ambrosio, Kingston Mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley, Cr Paul Peulich and Cr Geoff Gledhill. Image courtesy City of Kingston.


(1949). Ben Chifley. Image courtesy John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland