RAAF Association Tasmania

Australian Flying Corps and

Royal Australian Air Force Association (Tasmania Division) Inc. 

Patron: Her Excellency, The Hon Barbara Baker AC

Governor of Tasmania

WELCOME TO THE RAAFA TASMANIA DIVISION WEB SITE

Welcome to the Web Site of the Royal Australian Air Force Asociation - Tasmania Division.  This site is designed to keep all members and other interested persons abreast of Association happenings in the State of Tasmania.  We hope the information contained in this site will be of benefit to all members and we urge them to peruse the site frequently as it is up-dated on a regular basis so that all information is current and accurate.

Yours sincerely,

ALAN ROBERTSON OAM, CSM, RFD, JP

State President

History of RAAF Association - Tasmania Division Inc

The RAAF Association was founded in 1920 as the Australian Flying Corps Association and  shortly after the formation of the Royal Australian Air Force in 1921 it changed  its name to include  'Air Force Assoociation'.  In the late 1980s the name was again changed to include 'The Royal Australian Air Force Association'

There is a Division, with Branches, in each State of Australia.

The Tasmania Division was formed in  1944 and initially was one state wide group of members. In the early 1950s Branches began to be formed in Hobart, Launceston, the West Coast and the North West and finally, the WAAAFs formed their Branch in the late 1950s. Regrettably, the WAAAF Branch closed down in March 2014 due to ageing and diminsihed membership.

The RAAF Memorial Centre at 61 Davey Street Hobart, was purchased by public subscription soon after WWll  (a public appeal was launched in 1946), and assisted by member fund raising, the building  at No 61 Davey Street, Hobart was purchsased and now belongs to all the Division members. The RAAF Memorial Centre is managed by the State Executive of the Tasmania Division

One of the major activities organised by the Divsion is the annual Battle of Britain commemoration. The Battle of Britain was the first occasion when the aeroplane was used in a battle solely as a weapon in its own right. This was the birth of modern Air Power as we know it today and this commemoration of its birth is an important icon in the history of military aviation. The annual functions are a Memorial Church Service, held at St David's Cathedral Hobart, a formal dinner run along traditional military lines, a commemorative Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Hobart Cenotaph and a BBQ luncheon at the RAAF Memorial Centre Hobart to close the weekend activities.

The activities are well supported by the RAAF. The Chief of Air Force is a frequent attendee as are other senior RAAF  leaders.  The Defence Attaches from those allied nations that fought in the Battle of Britain (UK, France, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the US) are also invited and  they most often attend. The activities are held over the weekend closest to the 15 September which was the day the Battle of Britain reached its zenith in 1940.