The Society was founded as the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain in 1866 with 65 members by the Duke of Argyll. It became the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1918. Australia was first mentioned in 1892 when Lawrence Hargrave was experimenting with cellular kites. He was made a life member in 1897 and gave his paper on box kites in 1899. In 1919 the Institution of Aeronautical Engineers emerged.
The latter body set up an Australasian Branch in 1921 based in Melbourne. Interest in aerodynamics and aircraft design grew at the University of Sydney from 1924 leading to the formation of a New South Wales Division of the Institution on 21st March 1927. The Chairman was Wing Commander L.J. Wackett DFC AFC BSc FRAeS. Over 200 attended the inaugural meeting.
On 1st October 1927 the parent body, in England, and the Royal Aeronautical Society agreed to amalgamate.
The local body became the Australasian Branch. In 1928 the first Chairman (Professor H. Payne) and Deputy Chairman (W/Cdre. L. Wackett) were appointed. The Branch apparently languished through the depression years but by 1935 attendance per meeting (four per year) had risen to average 45 with subjects such as ‘Air resistance of cables’ and ‘Electricity as an aid to night flying’.
In 1937 the first visit of a Society President (H. E. Wimperis) was recorded- although the prime purpose of his visit was as adviser to the Australian Government out of which National Standards Laboratory (Sydney), Aeronautical Research Laboratory (Melbourne) and Chair of Aeronautics, University of Sydney were set up. Over recent years there have been regular visits of Presidents to Australia.
From 1939 to 1945 no meetings were held- although membership slowly increased- encouraged by Professor A. V. Stephens in Sydney and L. P. Coombes at ARL in Melbourne.
In 1946 a policy of “Centres” in capital cities, modelled on the English branches, was instituted, beginning with Sydney. As part of the reorganisation of the parent body the Australasian Branch was divided into the Australian Division and the New Zealand Division. At the same time the Sydney Centre became the Sydney Branch.
The years 1954 to 1962 were a period of evolution of the Rules of the Division- particularly in respect of the Council size, representation of the Branches and the periods of election. In 1956 the Chairman became the President.
Branches are centred on the capital cities of each state. Melbourne Branch was formed in 1953 and Adelaide Branch in 1956. Canberra Branch was approved in late 1962 and Brisbane Branch in 1992. Proposals to form a Perth Branch were ratified in 2002 and the Branch has functioned successfully ever since.
Each Branch conducts a monthly lecture/visit program. Members living in Northern Territory and Tasmania are serviced by other states, and the Division, for information and administration.
Members currently receive six levels of communication through the monthly Branch newsletters, Division newsletters, two Society magazines (Aerospace International and Aerospace Professional), Aeronautical Journal (optional) and this web site.
The Division through the Branches has conducted, in association with Engineers Australia, a successful series of Australian International Aeronautical Congresses on a biennial basis. From 2005 the Congresses have been hosted by the Melbourne Branch and coincided with Australian International Airshow. In 1998 the Division successfully hosted the ICAS98 conference in Melbourne- a first for the Southern Hemisphere. The thirteenth in the series will be held in earl 2009. Brisbane has been selected by the ICAS General Assembly to host the ICAS2012.
In recognition of the close cooperation between the Society (through the Division) and Engineers Australia (EA) over the years a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 1998. It was replaced in 2004 with a new Agreement of Cooperation. Through a supplementary agreement it was agreed that the Division would perform the function of a Technical Society of Engineers Australia. There are other supplementary agreements with EA covering a Joint Board of Aerospace Engineering, Joint Conference Committee, Reciprocal Recognition of Membership and Facilitation of registration as a Competent practitioner, Joint Competency Panel for Aerospace Engineering, Participation in accreditation of tertiary engineering courses/programs and joint panel for review of aerospace engineering publications.
