Every Departmental aerodrome and airport (and that included most licenced aerodromes when this photo was taken in 1984) had one or more Safety Officers. The ubiquitous yellow Departmental vehicle with the white roof was a familiar sight at aerodromes throughout the country.

The role of the Safety Officer included regular inspections of the movement areas and facilities, providing airside escorts and doing the thousand-and-one jobs that are part and parcel of running an aerodrome. At smaller aerodromes the Safety Officer might also double as the Groundsman, responsible for the maintenance of the aerodrome.

The location of this photo is not positively identified, although it is known that it was taken in 1984. The occasion was a demonstration of aircraft involved in bushfire-fighting, as exemplified by the Beaver and Fletcher FU-24 in the background.

(Photo: CAHS collection)

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