Terence Ellis
Driving Instructor, photographer and aviation enthusiast
Born and raised in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, near the approach to runway 35, Terry had a clear view of the aircraft coming and going around Essendon Airport. In Octover 1958, he saw the Lincoln bombers of No 1 Squadron RAAF returning from Malaya, flying directly over the family home with a deafening roar.
This prompted his first visit to the aerodrome in 1959 to find out where the aircraft finally stopped - and the 'bug' bit. From 1962 Terry took the family Box Brownie camera on visits to the airport and has not stopped taking photographs of aircraft ever since. He would never go to an air show without a camera.
Terry served for two years as a volunteer in the Australian Army Reserve (as an Army truckie) with 15 Company RAASC.
He then spent 30 years in freight logistics, including domestic (road and rail) and overseas (air and sea) activities. Terry worked with Ansett-ANA (at Essendon) and Ansett Airlines of Australia (at Tullamarine) for six years, firstly as a Loadmaster on ATL-98 and DC-4 aircraft, then with Customs Operations clearing goods through Customs.
He became a qualified Licenced Customs Broker. He did some Customs Agency work, then became a manager of an Agency at Tullamarine Airport. He then joined the Ford Motor Company of Australia at its Campbellfield head office (government Affairs - Customs Operations) and spent 14 years clearing its imported goods through Customs.
After being retrenched in 1991, Terry became a qualified and Licenced Professional Driving Instructor, and later a VicRoads authorised Heavy Vehicle Licence Tester.
Terence Ellis at Tyabb Air Show 2006, photograph taken by Murray Permain
