Aero Club

This plaque is located opposite Airport Rd at 26 Grayland St.

Several local pilots were Warrnambool Aero Club members when it was suggested by the instructor of the day, Andrew Hinde, that Cobden should consider forming its own club.

A meeting was called for December 4th 1991 to gauge interest and a steering committee of Kevin Norris, Garth McLennan, Joe O’Connell, John McInnes and Duncan Morris was subsequently appointed.

1992: The original clubhouse was a double-decker bus purchased for $1000. The second storey was great as it offered uninterrupted views of the whole strip – and any dodgy landings were noted.

1995: The club was upgraded to a house donated by Bonlac thanks to member Peter Skene. The diversity of member skills enabled works to be carried out cheaply whenever alterations or repairs were required.

The club was formed to promote aviation in the area and to enable pilots to meet to share aviation experiences. The clubrooms (Bonlac House) have been a portal for flight training and theory lessons for many years.

The club and its sister club, Warrnambool, have supported each other over three decades through flying competitions, fly-aways and social gatherings. Airshows from as far as Temora to Avalon and Tyabb have been a staple of club activities.

2002: Mains power was finally connected to the clubrooms.

Former Cobden instructor Geoff Brockie left the area in 1994 to become an army helicopter pilot. Geoff becamae captain of the black hawk helicopter based out of Townsville. During his training years with the army, he proclaimed he would bring a black hawk to Cobden which he did in 2002. The event attracted huge interest from the community.