Boeing Australia

Origins

Boeing began working in Australia through its subsidiary Boeing Aerostructures Australia (BAA), which was formerly known as the de Havilland Australia Company (DHA) and established in 1927. DHA became Hawker de Havilland Australia (HdH) in 1961 and acquired the former Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) in 1986. Boeing acquired HdH in 2000 which became Boeing Aerostructures Australia (BAA).

Meanwhile, the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) was established by the Government of Australia in 1939 next to CAC and renamed as Government Aircraft Factories (GAF) in 1939. In 1987, GAF was reorganised and renamed as Aerospace Technologies of Australia (ASTA), then privatised and later purchased in 1995 by Rockwell International. In 1996 Boeing purchased Rockwell International and Rockwell Australia became Boeing Australia in 1996. In 1997, Boeing bought Aerospace Technologies of Australia, which until the 1980s was known as Government Aircraft Factories. The five remaining subsidiaries were acquired as follows: Jeppesen in 2000, Alteon in 2002, Aviall in 2006, and Insitu Pacific in 2009.

In 2012, Boeing Australia closed a Bankstown factory in Sydney with operations consolidated commercial manufacturing operations at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne.

Relationship with Boeing Enterprise Divisions

Boeing Australia covers all of Boeing's major divisions:

Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA)

Composite manufacturing is performed by Boeing Aerostructures Australia (BAA) in Port Melbourne.

Sales support is performed by Boeing Distribution Australia in Sydney.

Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS)

In September 2003, Boeing Company initiated with the University of Queensland School of IT and Electrical Engineering (ITEE) a new Boeing Systems Engineering Teaching Laboratory to fill skills shortages in aviation and aerospace industry in Australia. Boeing also made a $1.55M grant for the founding of a Boeing Professorship in Systems Engineering for 5 years occupied by Professor Peter A Lindsay. Boeing provided funding with respect to the Wedgetail 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) project with the Commonwealth of Australia.

This fostered Defence Industries Queensland in Queensland Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning with Boeing Defence Australia at RAAF Base Amberley.

In March 2008, Boeing established a branch of its advanced research and development (R&D) unit – Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T) – in Australia to provide an R&D organisation for its in-country businesses and to collaborate with Australian R&D organisations, including universities and private sector R&D providers, the CSIRO and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO).

Boeing has a research partnership with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) that commenced in 1991. The CSIRO and Boeing collaborated on a 3D sensing and mapping payload for a NASA robot that operates on the International Space Station.