Caversham Airfield, also known as Middle Swan Airfield was an airfield constructed at
Caversham, Western Australia during
World War II as a parent aerodrome for use by the
Royal Navy's
Fleet Air Arm and the
United States Navy.
[OzatWar Website]
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The airfield had a triangle of three landing strips.[
Middle Swan was the parent airfield with the following satellite airfields:
*Beverley
*Bindoon
*Gingin North
*]Mooliabeenee
Mooliabeenee (also found misspelt as Mooliabeenie) is a locality in Western Australia, east of Gingin, Western Australia, Gingin, within the Shire of Chittering.
The nearby Mooliabeenie station lies on the Millendon Junction (near Midland, Weste ...
The United States Army Air Corps also utilised the airfield during World War II.
It was also a gliding club location after the war.
Motor racing circuit
The airfield was later utilised as a motor racing circuit, hosting its first event in 1946.[ Pedr Davis, The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, page 78] In 1956 the Western Australia Sporting Car Club gained a lease for the property, which was then converted into a permanent circuit.[ It became Western Australia's premier motor racing venue, hosting the ]Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is an annual motor racing event which is under contract to host Formula One until 2035. One of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia, the Grand Prix has moved frequently with 23 different venu ...
in 1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...
and 1962
Events January
* January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand.
* January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism.
* January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
[ Racing activities ceased when the airfield was re-activated as a military facility for radio communications,][ and Western Australian racing shifted to Wanneroo Raceway in 1969.][
]
See also
* List of airports in Western Australia
* Aviation transport in Australia
Notes
References
Further reading
* Lance Muir, Richard Duckworth, N. Hyde, (1946?) ''Flight without power - the art in Australia'' ideorecording videocassette (VHS) (12 min., 2 sec.) : si., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in. PAL format tate Film Archives collectionShowing the activities of gliding clubs in the various Australian states. Shows local enthusiast, Ric New, and activities at the bases of operations at Lake Pinjar (Pinjar Soaring Club), West Subiaco (WA Flying Club) and Caversham (Perth Gliding Club) in 1941 and 1946. WA segment is appr. 3 mins.
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Motorsport venues in Western Australia
World War II airfields in Australia
Defunct airports in Western Australia
Australian Grand Prix
Sports venues completed in 1946
Defunct motorsport venues in Australia