The Australian division of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) is celebrating the organisation’s 150-year anniversary with a reception at Sydney’s Admiralty House on July 8.
Originally known as The Aeronautical Society of Great Britain, the RAeS was founded on January 12 1866 with 65 members. Today, that number has grown to more than 22,000 members around the world.
The reception will be hosted by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove. Those expected to attend included Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) chairman Jeff Boyd and chief executive Mark Skidmore, as well as incoming Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Greg Hood (he takes up the role on July 1) and members of the Australian Defence Force.
The RAeS Australian division said the event to recognise the organisation’s sesquicentenary would “spotlight the local engagement of the RAeS with business, industry and government”.
“While this year provides the opportunity to recognise 150 years of Society contributions to aerospace we are also very much focussed on aviation today and where it will be over the next several decades, as the industry and its dedicated and highly capable people continue to enable safe, efficient and effective air and space activities,” RAeS Australian division president John Vincent said in a statement.
The Australian division of the RAeS was was established in Melbourne in 1921.
