A poor quality but very interesting photo of all three Control Towers at Melbourne's Essendon Airport. The shot is taken from out by Runway 17/35 looking slightly south of west.

The first Tower was a small box built on to the roof of the Aero Club building in about 1936, at far left in this photo. Next to it is the post-war Tower on stilts, built in 1946. By this time the Aero Club building was in use as the International Terminal. To the right is the third (and current) Tower, still under construction in this photo to be in service in time for the 1956 Olympic Games. This dates the photo to about 1955.

Between the Towers is the DCA, or Government, Hangar. At about this time it was in use as the Airport Fire Station. This historic hangar was subsequently dismantled in 1962 and moved to the southern side of the airport where it is still (c.2004) in use as a store. The entire area in this photo to the left of the third Tower is today apron.

Click on the hot spots in the photo above to see more information about each Control Tower or the DCA Hangar.

(Photo: CAHS collection)

Read Control Towers Part 1 for more information about the first two Essendon Towers.

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