Introduction
Australia, with its expansive landscape and rich aviation history, is home to numerous abandoned airstrips. Many of these relics are often hidden by the encroaching bush or repurposed for modern use. However they hold tales of pioneering flights, wartime operations, and the golden era of aviation. Let’s journey through some of Australia’s most intriguing abandoned airstrips, uncovering their history and the reasons they were forsaken.
Maylands Aerodrome Western Australia:
From Pioneering Flights to Police Training
On the serene bend of the Swan River, history was made. It was the 2nd of November, 1923, when the Commonwealth Government earmarked a picturesque 130-acre site on the Maylands peninsula. This slice of land soon transformed into Perth’s inaugural airport – Maylands Aerodrome.
Maylands Aerodrome in the early days
In 1924, as soon as the aerodrome spread its wings, West Australian Airways hastily relocated from the Esplanade. They anchored themselves at this new aviation hub and swiftly constructing an expansive hangar. They weren’t alone. The aerodrome soon echoed with the bustling activities of the MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co., Airlines (WA) Ltd from 1935. Also going them was the illustrious Royal Aero Club of Western Australia.
But the Swan River’s proximity was a double-edged sword. Seasonal flooding kept the land perpetually damp, with winters turning the terrain into a marsh. For decades, this soggy field served a myriad of aircraft, including majestic flying boats, until the dawn of the 1960s. That’s when the aerodrome handed its baton to Redcliffe. In its wake, the Western Australian Police Service molded it into a training ground.
Charles Kingsford-Smith lands at Maylands Aerodrome
Charles Kingsford-Smith flew the first non-stop intercontinental flight.
Among its myriad of stories, one stands out. Charles Kingsford-Smith, a name etched into aviation lore, concluded the first-ever non-stop transcontinental flight right here. Departing from Point Cook near Melbourne on 8th August 1928 aboard the “Southern Cross”, he flew over 3,200 kilometres. The journey wasn’t without its tribulations; from battling oppressive cloud cover to navigating through the icy night, only to find themselves veering off to Bunbury. But the climax? They landed on a swamp, courtesy of the summer rains.
World War II further enhanced the aerodrome’s legacy. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) claimed it. The United States Army Air Forces also utilized it for refuelling and shuttling aircraft. Number 35 Squadron, with their Avro Ansons, made it their mission to ferry supplies across Western Australia. They also extended support to the Royal Australian Navy and Army.
Reason for Abandonment
The Royal Aero Club of WA flying over Perth City.
All chapters must end – by the late 1950s, the Department of Civil Aviation felt the echoes of Maylands should fade. The aerodrome’s limited size and its interference with Perth/Guildford’s circuit prompted its closing. In a final flight of nostalgia, the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia departed from Maylands in April 1959, relocating and anticipating the inauguration of the Jandakot Airport. By 30th June 1963, Maylands’ operations ceased entirely.
Today, a golf fairway sprawls where planes once soared. The very heart of the aerodrome is now enshrined within the bounds of the WA Police Academy and Transport Section. Preserved hangars stand as silent sentinels, their historical significance recognized on the State’s Register of Heritage Places. In a fitting tribute, surrounding streets carry monikers that harken back to its golden age of aviation.
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Daly Waters Airfield, Northern Territory
Daly Waters Historic WW2 Aerodrome NT – one of Australia’s Abandoned Airstrips
History and Previous Use:
The Daly Waters Airfield, is another of Australia’s abandoned airstrips, as is RAAF Base Daly Waters. The base is a former commercial and sporadically-used military airfield located at Daly Waters, NT. As an airfield on Australia’s earliest international routes, Daly Waters was used throughout the 1920s and 1930s. It was a stop over and refuelling station for commercial airlines operating on the domestic route to Western Australia. It was also used by international carriers flying from Australia into south-east Asia via Darwin.
During WW2, the airbase was used by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the United States Army Air Force. It undertook combat operations against the Japanese in New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies and the islands to Australia’s north.
Daly Waters Airfield during WW2
In late 1943, the RAAF base was wound down as the war proceeded north. The airfield was then returned to civil use. Commercial traffic continued at the airfield until 1970. Ansett Australia and TAA operated one flight a week with TAA flying south in the morning and Ansett flying north in the evening. The last TAA flight took place on 1 April 1970 with Ansett concluding its operations a week or so later. The original Qantas hangar still stands, housing exhibits of photographs and equipment from the area’s aviation past. The main runway, although deteriorated, appears to still be serviceable.
Reason for Abandonment
Post-war, with the advent of modern aircraft and airfields, the need for this stopover waned.
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Cundletown Aerodrome, New South Wales
History and Previous Use:
Nestled near Taree, this aerodrome was founded in the 1930s. It served as a base for the Royal Australian Air Force during WWII, focusing on training aircrews for Beaufort bombers.
Reason for Abandonment:
After WWII, the aerodrome couldn’t compete with the newer, more modern Taree Airport, leading to its decline and eventual abandonment.
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Corunna Downs Airfield, Western Australia
The runway at Corunna Downs airfield, unused since 1946.
History and Previous Use
A secret airfield operated at the original site of the Corunna Downs homestead from 1943-1945. It had the task of staging aircraft and personnel for raids on Japanese bases and shipping.
Two bitumen runways of over 1,500m and 2,000m were constructed, and the airfield was known as the “invisible airfield”. This was due to the camouflage over buildings and revetments and the natural heat haze which obscured the airfield from overhead. Over 200 operational heavy bomber sorties were flown out of Corunna Downs while it was operating. And approximately 300 personnel stationed there at its peak.
Reason for Abandonment
The remains of buildings at the Corunna Downs airfield.
Abandoned since the end of WWII, only crumbling foundations, revetment outlines and the runways remain today. Corunna Downs airfield has joined the list of Australia’s abandoned airstrips. The airfield may be visited, and more information about the airfield and its operations is available at the Comet Gold Mine museum.
