Air League in Victoria – the Beginning

While most cadets learn from their General Proficiency workbooks that the Australian Air League officially landed in Victoria in 1938, the “true” beginning might actually be a year older than we thought.

Thanks to a bit of historical detective work by Group Commissioner Ian Walkeden, we’ve uncovered a fascinating paper trail that takes us back to a small hall in the heart of Melbourne.

While researching an old church, Commissioner Walkeden stumbled upon a newspaper clipping from The Age, dated November 11, 1937. It described a gathering of aviation enthusiasts and Air League personnel from Sydney who had traveled to Melbourne to pitch a big idea.

The meeting took place at St. David’s Hall, tucked behind the Melbourne Welsh Church on La Trobe Street. There, Captain W. S. McEgan laid out a vision: an organisation that would give Victorian youth the chance to master the skies.

The meeting was successful and a public event was planned at the Melbourne Town Hall two weeks later. Because that first gathering at St. David’s happened on November 10, 1937, may we now consider this the true “birth date” of the Victoria Group—the moment the wheels first started turning?

If you walk through Melbourne’s CBD today, you can still see the spot where it all began. Surrounded by modern skyscrapers, the little hall from the 1890s is still standing.

Because of its rich history—not just for the Air League, but for the city itself—it is protected by the Victorian Heritage Register. It serves as a permanent reminder that even the biggest organisations usually start with a few passionate people in a small room.