Essendon Fields Celebrates Airport Centenary With Huge Community-Wide Open Day—& You’re All Invited!

This post is courtesy of Essendon Fields.

In August 2021, amid the pandemic, Essendon Fields marked its 100-year anniversary. To celebrate 100 years of operation, the community, and the people who helped shape Melbourne’s first airport, Essendon Fields is inviting all families, history buffs, and aviation enthusiasts to a jam-packed open day. The event will take place on Sunday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in a belated birthday celebration via a free open day and outdoor event.

The open day will showcase all that Essendon Fields has to offer with a very special (and never seen before) behind-the-scenes sneak peek at the 305-hectare precinct. With a long list of activities for the whole family to get involved in, it’s a great opportunity to explore one of Melbourne’s longest-standing icons.

“We are so excited to welcome the community to our open day to celebrate an incredible milestone of 100 years of serving the people of Melbourne and our surrounding community,” says Essendon Fields CEO Brendan Pihan. “There really will be something for everyone! From aircraft to cars, live music, stalls, food trucks, VR flight experiences, and historical walking tours. We know this will be a fantastic event to celebrate the past and to also celebrate the future. We are just as excited about our next 100 years as we are about our achievements over the past century."

On show at the open day will be a unique collection of aircraft including the iconic Douglas DC-3 Gooney Bird, fighter jets, specially modified aeromedical aircraft and luxury private jets, as well as the chance to hitch a helicopter joy flight.

If cars are more your style, Essendon Fields will also have a massive collection of classic cars to further celebrate its title as Melbourne’s most extensive automotive sales location.

Essendon Fields is well-known for its food offering and there will be no shortage of options on its open day, including gourmet samples available from LaManna Supermarket, the EF Central Eat Street, and a wide range of food trucks. If you’re prepared for a feast, guests can make their way down to the ultimate garden party, where they will be treated to special food and beverage packages from the Hyatt Place Beer Garden & Mr McCracken Bar and Restaurant.

On the day, guests can also enjoy a historical walking tour showcasing original hangars, air traffic control and early aviation pioneer history, and a full-throttle virtual reality flight experience from Orbx Simulation and the Royal Australian Air Force. There will also be treasure hunts for the kids, The Royal Flying Doctors simulator, and the chance for family and friends to build their very own cardboard fighter jet and go into battle with the team at Boxwars.

With stalls, live music, museum displays, and more, the fun-filled outdoor event is guaranteed to have something for everyone.

About Essendon Fields

For most of the century, the airport was most commonly known as “Essendon Airport”—being Melbourne’s first domestic and international airport—and has since continued to be the aviation gateway for generations of Melburnians. Today, Essendon Fields Airport retains its status as a critical aviation hub, but also has developed into a thriving community and employment precinct in Melbourne’s Northwest, with a vision to create 20,000 onsite jobs in the next 20 years.

For more information, to find a full event program, and to go into the draw to win some incredible prizes, visit https://ef100.com.au.