No. 79 Squadron was formed at Wooloomanata, Victoria, on 26 April 1943. The squadron has been formed and disbanded a total of four times. This is why the squadron crest depicts a phoenix.

The four eras are:

• WWII – 1943–45 – SpitfiresUbon – 1962–68 – CAC Sabres in Ubon, ThailandMirage – 1986–88 – Mirage III in Butterworth, Malaysia
• Modern – 1998–2000 MB326H Macchi, then 2000–present Hawk 127 at RAAF Base Pearce.

The squadron has seen active service in the following locations:

• Goodenough Island, PNG, 1943Kiriwina Island, PNG, 1943Los Negros Island, PNG, 1944New Britian, PNG, 1944Darwin, 1945Morotai Island, Indonesian Papua, 1945
• Ubon, Thailand 1962–68.