Branch - Geelong

In this Edition:

Our long-awaited trip to the Air Force Museum, Point Cook finally eventuated after the opening late May 23. .......//

From the President:

The Geelong Branch continues along steadily and modestly with small attendances at our meetings with more keen interest by other new members wanting to join or transfer to our Branch. As mentioned previously, we plan to utilise the community bus for more visits this year hopefully along with other activities away from Geelong...........

From the President:

So far this year, with the easing of COVID restrictions, the Geelong Branch has been able to conduct its monthly meetings at the Geelong RSL. Our meeting attendance numbers have been steady at 10-12 members which is followed by a fellowship lunch. The Branch continues to support members in need of various assistance through our welfare support.............

Greetings Geelong Branch Members,

I hope this finds you well, keeping safe and staying at home for your safety. COVID-19 certainly changed the world in a big way. No travel, no physical contact with anyone, shopping only for essentials and maintaining social distance with regular sanitization, hand washing with limited shopping for basic grocery items has been quite the challenge. Not to mention the temporary suspension of our fellowship monthly meetings and plans to go on day excursions.........

Happy New Year, Geelong Branch Members

I hope this finds you well, keeping safe and have been staying at home for your safety but also getting out and about where possible in a COVID safe manner now that we can do that. COVID-19 certainly changed the way we lived last year. 2020 will be an unforgettable, unprecedented and a challenged legacy to all of us.  Video conferencing dictated how we conducted Association meetings during last year, both on a State level and National level. This year marks our 100^th Anniversary......

On 31 July 2019, we held an information meeting at the Geelong RSL to gauge the possibility of reviving the Geelong Branch of the Air Force Association-Victoria...

Want to find out more about Geelong Branch, please contact Darrell Robinson, Branch Secretary, on drobinson3@bigpond.com.

The Federal Government’s approval of the acquisition of a further 58 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft is great news for the G21 region.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the Minister for Defence, Senator David Johnston, today (23 April 2014)  announced the $12.4 billion acquisition.

The Australian defence industry has been awarded over $355 million in work and stands to win well in excess of $1.5 billion in JSF-related production and support work over the life of the programme.

This will create long-term jobs in advanced manufacturing and engineering.

Marand, which has a strong presence in Geelong, is playing an important role in this project, manufacturing high-tech trailers and parts of the vertical tails for the aircraft.

Two thirds of the newly opened International Harvester was commandeered by the RAAF. and an ad hoc airfield was established. The US Air Force arrived shortly thereafter.

The presence of American servicemen has left an enduring impression on the North Shore community. Their arrival was the cause of much local excitement, particularly among the children who made a pretty penny running errands for them. They were also a hit with the ladies, who enjoyed a social dance at the local community hall. The story of the American presence in North Shore remains largely untold, and the reflections of local residents provide a fantastically rare insight into a unique period in Victorian history.