Essendon Airport is an Australian electronic music, post-punk group formed in 1978 which explored experimental minimalist and funk music. Founding mainstays were the duo of David Chesworth on electric piano and drum machine and Robert Goodge on guitar. They were joined in late 1980 by Ian Cox on saxophone and Paul Fletcher on drums.

In 1982 they added Barbara Hogarth on bass guitar but disbanded in the following year. The group issued a four-track extended play, Sonic Investigations (Of the Trivial) (May 1980), and a studio album, Palimpsest (May 1982). They reformed as the original duo line-up for occasional performances in 2003 after the issue of a compilation album, Sonic Investigations of the Trivial. A new double CD version of Palimpsest, and other live material, was released by Chapter Music in August 2011.

In September 2022, the group released their first new music in 40 years, with the double-A 7" single "Agua Por Favor"/"Ten Thousand Steps", featuring vocalist Anne Cessna. Their second studio album, MOR, followed in 2025.

History

1978–80: Formation to Sonic Investigations

Formed in Melbourne, Essendon Airport began as an instrumental electronic music duo in 1978 by Robert Goodge on lead guitar and David Chesworth on Wurlitzer electric piano and a home made drum machine, bought via the Trading Post. Both members lived in or near the suburb of Essendon, and took the name of Essendon Airport which since 1971 was no longer an international terminal (replaced by Melbourne Airport in Tullamarine).

The duo version released a four-track extended play, Sonic Investigations (Of the Trivial), in May 1980 on Innocent Records.

Essendon Airport followed with a single, "Talking to Cleopatra" (September 1980), with Anne Cessna ( Anne Sanger) on lead vocals. According to theMusic.com.aus writer, "[it] went on to be something of a cult favourite among the Melburnian alt-music scene of the early 1980s." Three years after the dissolution of I'm Talking, Cox, Chesworth and Goodge collaborated again, in 1990, in the group, Power Trip featuring Mr Larry Weems, alongside John Course, Angus Davidson, Mark Forrester, John McCall and Simon Polinski. Chesworth later formed the instrumental group, the David Chesworth Ensemble, for which Goodge has occasionally performed.

Members

  • David Chesworth&nbsp;– Wurlitzer electric piano, keyboard, drum machine, vocals <small>(1978–83, 2003, 2011, 2022-present)</small>
  • Robert Goodge&nbsp;– guitar <small>(1978–83, 2003, 2011, 2022-present)</small>
  • Ian Cox&nbsp;– saxophone <small>(1980–83)</small>
  • Paul Fletcher&nbsp;– drums <small>(1980–83, 2011, 2025)</small>
  • Barbara Hogarth&nbsp;– bass guitar <small>(1982–83, 2025)</small>
  • Graham Lee&nbsp;– pedal steel guitar <small>(2005–10, 2022-present)</small>
  • Phil Bywater&nbsp;– saxophone <small>(2011)</small>

Discography

Albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of albums, with selected details

! Title

! Details

|-

! scope="row" | Palimpsest

|

  • Released: 1982
  • Format: LP
  • Label: Innocent Records

|-

! scope="row" | MOR

|

  • Released: 2025
  • Format: LP, digital
  • Label: Chapter Music

|}

Extended plays

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of EPs, with selected details

! Title

! Details

|-

! scope="row" | Sonic Investigations (Of the Trivial)

|

  • Released: 1979
  • Format: 7" EP
  • Label: Innocent Records

|}

Singles

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+List of singles, with selected details

! Title

! Year

! Album

|-

! scope="row"| "Talking to Cleopatra" <small>(by Anne Cessna & Essendon Airport)</small>

| 1980

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Agua Por Favor"/"Ten Thousand Steps" <small>(featuring Anne Cessna)</small>

|}

References

;General

  • Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.

;Specific

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmhhUC1sueA Farrago interviews Essendon Airport founders David Chesworth and Robert Goodge 27 June 2024
  • Do That Dance! Australian Post Punk, 1977-1983, presented by Lorena Allam, 18 July 2010, Hindsight - ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)