Australian Flying Corps

Following the decision of the London Imperial Conference of 1911 that the armed forces of the British Empire should exploit the air as a means of warfare, the Australian Minister of Defence, Senator George Pearce, approved the formation of an Australian air arm on 20 September 1912. The Australian Government announced the formation of the Central Flying School (CFS) and Aviation Corps on March 7, 1913. The CFS was established at Point Cook, Victoria. The title Australian Flying Corps does not appear to have been promulgated officially but seems to have been derived from the term Australian Aviation Corps. The first mention of an Australian Flying Corps appears in Military Orders of 1914.