The Story of Point Cook
Point Cook is a suburb of Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria, 25 km south-west from Melbourne's CBD.
The area was named after John M. Cooke, a ship’s mate on board H.M.S. Rattlesnake under Captain William Hobson, the ship charted part of the Port Phillip bay in 1836. Although officially named Point Cooke, as early as 1853 , the last letter ‘e’ is not in common use. It was known as Point Cook when pioneer grazier and horse-breeder Thomas Chirnside took over farmlands and began to build his homestead, which he occupied from 1857.
Point Cook is the home of RAAF Base Williams, Point Cook, the birthplace of the Royal Australian Air Force, and is the current home of the RAAF Museum. The wetlands of the Point Cook Coastal Park form part of the Cheetham and Altona Important Bird Area.
The population of Point Cook is growing rapidly and is estimated to reach 50,246 by 2020 and 52,649 by 2028.
In 1853 the pastoralist Thomas Chirnside added the farmlands of Point Cook to his holdings. He built the famous Point Cook Homestead four years later. Initially the land was an important segment of the expanding pastoral empire established by Thomas and his brother Andrew. As their extensive land holdings were developed substantial homesteads were later constructed at Werribee Park, Carranballac, and elsewhere.
As early as 1859 members of the Melbourne Hunt Club and the Geelong & District Hunt Club were invited to hunt at Point Cook. In the early 1860s Thomas Chirnside imported valuable horses for the breeding at Point Cook. The property was said to have three racetracks. The Chirnsides became one of Victoria's prominent pastoral families, entertaining the colonial gentry and organising sporting functions for their guests at Point Cook.
The area was named after John M. Cooke, a ship’s mate on board H.M.S. Rattlesnake under Captain William Hobson, the ship charted part of the Port Phillip bay in 1836. Although officially named Point Cooke, as early as 1853 , the last letter ‘e’ is not in common use. It was known as Point Cook when pioneer grazier and horse-breeder Thomas Chirnside took over farmlands and began to build his homestead, which he occupied from 1857.
Point Cook is the home of RAAF Base Williams, Point Cook, the birthplace of the Royal Australian Air Force, and is the current home of the RAAF Museum. The wetlands of the Point Cook Coastal Park form part of the Cheetham and Altona Important Bird Area.
The population of Point Cook is growing rapidly and is estimated to reach 50,246 by 2020 and 52,649 by 2028.
In 1853 the pastoralist Thomas Chirnside added the farmlands of Point Cook to his holdings. He built the famous Point Cook Homestead four years later. Initially the land was an important segment of the expanding pastoral empire established by Thomas and his brother Andrew. As their extensive land holdings were developed substantial homesteads were later constructed at Werribee Park, Carranballac, and elsewhere.
As early as 1859 members of the Melbourne Hunt Club and the Geelong & District Hunt Club were invited to hunt at Point Cook. In the early 1860s Thomas Chirnside imported valuable horses for the breeding at Point Cook. The property was said to have three racetracks. The Chirnsides became one of Victoria's prominent pastoral families, entertaining the colonial gentry and organising sporting functions for their guests at Point Cook.
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English aviator Lieutenant Henry Petre travelled hundreds of miles by motorcycle to inspect possible sites for a flying school on behalf of the Australian Government. Petre selected Point Cook. In 1912 the Federal Government purchased a large section of Point Cook from the Chirnside family with a vision to establish the Australian Flying Corps (AFC). In 1913 the new Central Flying School received five aircraft from Britain to train pilots for the Australian Flying Corps, and on the morning of 1 March 1914, a Bristol Boxkite aircraft flown by Lieutenant Eric Harrison made the first flight at Point Cook.
The first flying training course at Point Cook commenced on 17 August 1914, just two weeks after the start of World War I. Lieutenant Richard Williams was the first of the four officer students to graduate in November 1914. Due to the success of the AFC in the First World War, the AFC was renamed the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and this led to the eventual renaming of the AFC base at Point Cook to RAAF Base Williams.
It was the location of the first Australian military flight (Harrison 1914), first flight of an Australian made military Aircraft (Harrison 1915), the final destination of the first flight from England to Australia (Smith Brothers, 1919), departure point for the first North-South (Wrigley/Murphy, 1919), and first non-stop East-West crossings of the continent (Kingsford-Smith/Ulm, 1928), as well as the first aerial circumnavigation of the continent (Goble/McIntyre, 1924).
It was the departure point for the first Air Sea Rescue flight (Stutt/Dalzell,1920), first aerial survey flight (Hempel, 1926) the first international flight from Australia (Williams, 1926), first emergency use of a parachute (Rae, 1930) and first trials of crop dusting (Wrigley, 1930) and first official airmail to New Guinea (Ulm, 1934).
Famous aviators associated with Point Cook include Williams, after whom the base is named (first Marshal of the RAAF, first Director-General of Civil Aviation), Duigan, Wackett, CWA Scott, Kingsford-Smith and Ulm.
Point Cook remained the RAAF's only base until 1925. Point Cook is considered the birthplace and the spiritual home of the RAAF. The RAAF was the second Royal air arm to be formed in the British Commonwealth, following the British Royal Air Force. When formed it had more aircraft than personnel, with 21 officers and 128 other ranks and 153 aircraft. Today the still servicing RAAF Williams base is the home of the RAAF College including Officers Training School (OTS) and the RAAF Museum.
In 1924 land would be sold the northern part of the Point Cook to Cheetham Salt Pty Ltd for salt recovery lagoons. Cheetham Salt established a series of ponds in the 1920s where sea water was fed into the shallow ponds and allowed to evaporate. Dried salt was then harvested from the floor of the lagoons. This operation continued until the early 1990s, when the site was purchased by the Victorian Government.
The more environmentally important bayside part of the original saltworks now comprises Cheetham Wetlands which make up the migratory bird habitat and conservation area that is there today. The higher, western section is being developed privately by various housing estates, such as Sanctuary Lakes that are there today. In 1948 Point Cook hosted the Australian Grand Prix, which was held at the Point Cook RAAF Base.
In 1996, Point Cook was basically a rural community, with the RAAF Williams Base. Point Cook's population in 1996 was approximately 580, of whom 552 lived on the RAAF base. By 2001, Point Cook’s population had increased to 1,737, and by August 2006 the population of Point Cook was 14,162 as per the 2006 Australian Census. Today Point Cook is one of the major growth regions in Melbourne's western suburbs.
At the 2011 Census, Point Cook recorded a population of 32,413 and is estimated to reach 41,474 by 2016. When taking into account current government plans, it is believed that Point Cook's population will peak at approximately 60,000 by the late 2020s.
Point Cook is both young and old. It is a young suburb and an old place. It houses an ever expanding new suburb and Australia’s oldest air base. Its importance in Australia’s history, with the RAAF as well as the Chirnside family, is very significant. The RAAF, formed in 1921, continues the traditions of the second oldest Air Force in the world, the AFC, formed on 22 October 1912 (and retained Point Cook as its home base). Today, in still functions as an airfield, and is currently used for the Air Force element of the Australian Defence Force Gap Year Program. From a film making perspective, the base contains a horizon tank, one of only three in the world. It has been used in a wide range of projects including Moby Dick and Noah's Ark.
The suburb of Point Cook is relatively new in Melbourne’s development. As an Urban Boundary Suburb, its development and land usage is the domain of the Victorian Government, Metropolitan Planning Authority as well as Wyndham City Council (WCC). It can be argued, that at times the process of planning has been rushed and haphazard. Illustrating these points is the lack of basic infrastructure for the growing suburb. Internet remains today, as a hotly debated topic. Secondary Schools for a suburb with a high birth rate seem to be off the table. Roads connecting the suburb to the rest of Melbourne are still being developed, and even footpaths connecting Point Cook to the near by railway station are not yet built. But despite all this, Point Cook has a community spirit and (outside of peak hour) is close to Melbourne’s CBD.
The desirability of the suburb, despite these challenges, is high. According to realestate.com.au the suburb has a very high median price range for the area, and is described, “Point Cook may be best known as the home of the RAAF Base Williams, but everyday life here includes a beautiful coastal park, a round of golf at Sanctuary Lakes Club and all the pleasures of nearby Werribee Plaza, with its retail emporiums, cafes and cinemas. If that isn’t enough retail for you, Point Cook has a number of shopping enclaves of its own, like Sanctuary Lakes Shopping Centre and a neat pocket of shops around Main and Murnong Streets. If you want a smart new home with innovative design and all the mod cons, you’ll find it in Point Cook. Being a new suburb, the architecture is predominantly contemporary, but with a range of styles within that overall look.”
During the development Point Cook as a suburb, Land Developers and WCC created features to attract buyers. And although these features do not explain the exact nature of Point Cook, they do help explain how a patch of farmland adjacent to an airbase, was able to become one of the fastest growing suburbs in Melbourne, far exceeding the expectations of WCC itself. And despite the rate of rapid growth, Point Cook maintained a community spirit of mateship, a characteristic still promoted today, and more than likely a result of its roots a century ago. Each item of standout character has contributed to both the architectural nature, and the history of the suburb.
Going back into history of Point Cook and surrounds, between 1914 and 1917, eight flying training courses were conducted at the Central Flying School, Point Cook. Hangars and wooden accommodation buildings gradually replaced tents and temporary buildings used by the first small group of instructional staff, students and mechanics. The RAAF expanded steadily between 1921 and 1939 and Point Cook remained a busy training base for landplanes and seaplanes.
During the First and Second World Wars, Point Cook, and the people that came out of the RAAF would play pivotal roles around the globe. The land itself would house squadrons of planes from Australia and allied forces. It not only contributed to the war effort, it became a key plank in the allies’ efforts. In short it is a land of historical significance.
This airbase is not just an historical site of past events; it is perhaps a unique site world wide, given its virtually intact AFC and World War One airfield structures on the Southern Tarmac and the original camp site. Its examples of ongoing development through the "golden age" of the 1930's, seaplane hangar and jetty, its collection of World War two buildings on the Northern Tarmac and the buildings of the RAAF College and Academy through the 1950s and 1960s, form a unique timecapsule. The site acts to chronicle the development of military aviation from its infancy as Corp within the army forces through to the development of mature and potent service in its own right.
The residential developments too, follow this trend. Built up in a short space of time, the suburb is a contemporary mix of design. The majority of the people calling Point Cook home, are the first generation of its residents. Coming from other suburbs of Melbourne, or as far afield as Mumbai, these people have melded a community together. The spirit of “mateship” beats at the heart of this community, making the region itself more desirable over and above the bay side lifestyle.
The first flying training course at Point Cook commenced on 17 August 1914, just two weeks after the start of World War I. Lieutenant Richard Williams was the first of the four officer students to graduate in November 1914. Due to the success of the AFC in the First World War, the AFC was renamed the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and this led to the eventual renaming of the AFC base at Point Cook to RAAF Base Williams.
It was the location of the first Australian military flight (Harrison 1914), first flight of an Australian made military Aircraft (Harrison 1915), the final destination of the first flight from England to Australia (Smith Brothers, 1919), departure point for the first North-South (Wrigley/Murphy, 1919), and first non-stop East-West crossings of the continent (Kingsford-Smith/Ulm, 1928), as well as the first aerial circumnavigation of the continent (Goble/McIntyre, 1924).
It was the departure point for the first Air Sea Rescue flight (Stutt/Dalzell,1920), first aerial survey flight (Hempel, 1926) the first international flight from Australia (Williams, 1926), first emergency use of a parachute (Rae, 1930) and first trials of crop dusting (Wrigley, 1930) and first official airmail to New Guinea (Ulm, 1934).
Famous aviators associated with Point Cook include Williams, after whom the base is named (first Marshal of the RAAF, first Director-General of Civil Aviation), Duigan, Wackett, CWA Scott, Kingsford-Smith and Ulm.
Point Cook remained the RAAF's only base until 1925. Point Cook is considered the birthplace and the spiritual home of the RAAF. The RAAF was the second Royal air arm to be formed in the British Commonwealth, following the British Royal Air Force. When formed it had more aircraft than personnel, with 21 officers and 128 other ranks and 153 aircraft. Today the still servicing RAAF Williams base is the home of the RAAF College including Officers Training School (OTS) and the RAAF Museum.
In 1924 land would be sold the northern part of the Point Cook to Cheetham Salt Pty Ltd for salt recovery lagoons. Cheetham Salt established a series of ponds in the 1920s where sea water was fed into the shallow ponds and allowed to evaporate. Dried salt was then harvested from the floor of the lagoons. This operation continued until the early 1990s, when the site was purchased by the Victorian Government.
The more environmentally important bayside part of the original saltworks now comprises Cheetham Wetlands which make up the migratory bird habitat and conservation area that is there today. The higher, western section is being developed privately by various housing estates, such as Sanctuary Lakes that are there today. In 1948 Point Cook hosted the Australian Grand Prix, which was held at the Point Cook RAAF Base.
In 1996, Point Cook was basically a rural community, with the RAAF Williams Base. Point Cook's population in 1996 was approximately 580, of whom 552 lived on the RAAF base. By 2001, Point Cook’s population had increased to 1,737, and by August 2006 the population of Point Cook was 14,162 as per the 2006 Australian Census. Today Point Cook is one of the major growth regions in Melbourne's western suburbs.
At the 2011 Census, Point Cook recorded a population of 32,413 and is estimated to reach 41,474 by 2016. When taking into account current government plans, it is believed that Point Cook's population will peak at approximately 60,000 by the late 2020s.
Point Cook is both young and old. It is a young suburb and an old place. It houses an ever expanding new suburb and Australia’s oldest air base. Its importance in Australia’s history, with the RAAF as well as the Chirnside family, is very significant. The RAAF, formed in 1921, continues the traditions of the second oldest Air Force in the world, the AFC, formed on 22 October 1912 (and retained Point Cook as its home base). Today, in still functions as an airfield, and is currently used for the Air Force element of the Australian Defence Force Gap Year Program. From a film making perspective, the base contains a horizon tank, one of only three in the world. It has been used in a wide range of projects including Moby Dick and Noah's Ark.
The suburb of Point Cook is relatively new in Melbourne’s development. As an Urban Boundary Suburb, its development and land usage is the domain of the Victorian Government, Metropolitan Planning Authority as well as Wyndham City Council (WCC). It can be argued, that at times the process of planning has been rushed and haphazard. Illustrating these points is the lack of basic infrastructure for the growing suburb. Internet remains today, as a hotly debated topic. Secondary Schools for a suburb with a high birth rate seem to be off the table. Roads connecting the suburb to the rest of Melbourne are still being developed, and even footpaths connecting Point Cook to the near by railway station are not yet built. But despite all this, Point Cook has a community spirit and (outside of peak hour) is close to Melbourne’s CBD.
The desirability of the suburb, despite these challenges, is high. According to realestate.com.au the suburb has a very high median price range for the area, and is described, “Point Cook may be best known as the home of the RAAF Base Williams, but everyday life here includes a beautiful coastal park, a round of golf at Sanctuary Lakes Club and all the pleasures of nearby Werribee Plaza, with its retail emporiums, cafes and cinemas. If that isn’t enough retail for you, Point Cook has a number of shopping enclaves of its own, like Sanctuary Lakes Shopping Centre and a neat pocket of shops around Main and Murnong Streets. If you want a smart new home with innovative design and all the mod cons, you’ll find it in Point Cook. Being a new suburb, the architecture is predominantly contemporary, but with a range of styles within that overall look.”
During the development Point Cook as a suburb, Land Developers and WCC created features to attract buyers. And although these features do not explain the exact nature of Point Cook, they do help explain how a patch of farmland adjacent to an airbase, was able to become one of the fastest growing suburbs in Melbourne, far exceeding the expectations of WCC itself. And despite the rate of rapid growth, Point Cook maintained a community spirit of mateship, a characteristic still promoted today, and more than likely a result of its roots a century ago. Each item of standout character has contributed to both the architectural nature, and the history of the suburb.
Going back into history of Point Cook and surrounds, between 1914 and 1917, eight flying training courses were conducted at the Central Flying School, Point Cook. Hangars and wooden accommodation buildings gradually replaced tents and temporary buildings used by the first small group of instructional staff, students and mechanics. The RAAF expanded steadily between 1921 and 1939 and Point Cook remained a busy training base for landplanes and seaplanes.
During the First and Second World Wars, Point Cook, and the people that came out of the RAAF would play pivotal roles around the globe. The land itself would house squadrons of planes from Australia and allied forces. It not only contributed to the war effort, it became a key plank in the allies’ efforts. In short it is a land of historical significance.
This airbase is not just an historical site of past events; it is perhaps a unique site world wide, given its virtually intact AFC and World War One airfield structures on the Southern Tarmac and the original camp site. Its examples of ongoing development through the "golden age" of the 1930's, seaplane hangar and jetty, its collection of World War two buildings on the Northern Tarmac and the buildings of the RAAF College and Academy through the 1950s and 1960s, form a unique timecapsule. The site acts to chronicle the development of military aviation from its infancy as Corp within the army forces through to the development of mature and potent service in its own right.
The residential developments too, follow this trend. Built up in a short space of time, the suburb is a contemporary mix of design. The majority of the people calling Point Cook home, are the first generation of its residents. Coming from other suburbs of Melbourne, or as far afield as Mumbai, these people have melded a community together. The spirit of “mateship” beats at the heart of this community, making the region itself more desirable over and above the bay side lifestyle.
