Location
Avalon is primarily an aeronautical, aerospace and air-freight base, 55km south-west of Melbourne and 4km to the west of Lara. It lies between the Princes Freeway and Corio Bay.

Description
Almost 1,100 people are employed at Avalon around the airport, in defence manufacturing and testing, maintenance of commercial aircraft, freight handling and pilot training.

The flat plains of Avalon also lead to two relatively remote boat ramps, one near the old Austin homestead, and the other to the north at the end of Beach Road. The homestead has become a conference centre.

The Avalon International Airshow and Aerospace Expo - a massive aerial and static display - attracts tens of thousands of spectators. It runs every two years.

Avalon is also a centre of salt production with the Cheetham company operating an extensive system of saltpans. The wetlands in the area attract a wide range of birdlife, some among the rarest in the world.

History
James Austin, the man who introduced rabbits into Victoria, was an early landowner in the area.

The name derives from the Isle of Avalon, site of the first Christian church in England and burial place of the legendary Arthur of the Round Table. Part of Austin's property was sold for smaller farms in 1910. A small primary school operated from 1911 to 1950.

In 1949, much of the Austin property was sold to the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation for a jet plane test field and assembly plant. In 1960, the Austin homestead and grounds were given to the Brotherhood of St. Laurence as a temporary shelter for those experiencing hard times.

In 1992, the Commonwealth Government's corporatised Aerospace Technologies of Australia Ltd (ASTA) took over the 1,750 hectares of the Avalon airport and ran the first Australian Airshow and Aerospace Expo. Another significant milestone in the airport's history came in 1997 when Linfox acquired the airport from the Commonwealth.