RAAF Base Richmond is a
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
(RAAF)
military air base
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
located within the
City of Hawkesbury
The City of Hawkesbury is a local government area of New South Wales, Australia, part of which is at the fringe of the Sydney metropolitan area, about north-west of the Sydney central business district. Hawkesbury City is named after the H ...
, approximately North-West of the
Sydney Central Business District in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, Australia. Situated between the towns of
Windsor and
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a ...
, the base is the oldest base in New South Wales and the second oldest in Australia.
The base is home to the transport headquarters RAAF
Air Lift Group, and its major operational formations,
Nos. 84 and
86 Wings. The main aircraft type operated at the base is the
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally des ...
. Richmond is a regular venue for air shows and had at times been mooted as a site for Sydney's proposed
second international airport.
Sited on a piece of land originally known as Ham Common, Richmond became an RAAF base in 1925. Its inaugural commander was Flight Lieutenant (later Squadron Leader)
Frank Lukis
Air Commodore Francis William Fellowes (Frank) Lukis, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (27 July 1896 – 18 February 1966) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). A veteran of World War&n ...
, who also led the base's first flying unit,
No. 3 Squadron. Many other squadrons were formed at Richmond in the ensuing years, as well as a separate Station Headquarters and
No. 2 Aircraft Depot in 1936. The base expanded further during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, with more squadrons and other units being established there, including
No. 1 (Fighter) Wing and No. 3 RAAF Hospital. It was not until after the war that it became the RAAF's transport hub, with the arrival of No. 86 Wing and its complement of
C-47 Dakotas
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...
. The base began operating the Hercules in 1958, augmented in later years by the
DHC-4 Caribou
The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou (designated by the United States military as the CV-2 and later C-7 Caribou) is a Canadian specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. The Caribou was first flown in 1958 a ...
and
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December ...
.
History
A military flying school was set up at the site of the present-day RAAF base on 28 August 1916, when the area was known as Ham Common.
[ RAAF Station Richmond was established on 30 June 1925 as the fledgling service's first air base outside ]Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
. Its initial flying unit was No. 3 (Army Cooperation) Squadron, operating Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 (from de Havilland 9) – also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 – was a British single-engined biplane bomber developed and deployed during the First World War.
The DH.9 was a development of Airco's earlier successfu ...
light bombers and Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5
The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the f ...
fighters, and for the next decade the commanding officer of No. 3 Squadron was also in charge of the base. Among these were Squadron Leaders Frank Lukis (1925–30), Harry Cobby
Air Commodore Arthur Henry Cobby, (26 August 1894 – 11 November 1955) was an Australian military aviator. He was the leading fighter ace of the Australian Flying Corps during World War I, with 29 victories, despite seeing active servi ...
(1930–31), and Bill Bostock (1931–33). Headquarters RAAF Station Richmond was formed as a separate entity on 20 April 1936, under the command of Group Captain Adrian "King" Cole. Other units, including No. 22 Squadron flying Hawker Demons, and No. 2 Aircraft Depot, had been established in the preceding months. No. 4 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron was formed in May 1937, followed by No. 6 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron in March 1939. Two Fleet Cooperation units were also established, No. 5 Squadron in April 1936 and No. 9 Squadron in January 1939. No. 23 (General Purpose) Squadron formed in February 1939.[ As well as an Air Force base, in its pre-war days Richmond was used as a supplementary airport for Sydney; various aviation pioneers employed it in the 1930s, including ]Charles Kingsford Smith
Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith (9 February 18978 November 1935), nicknamed Smithy, was an Australian aviation pioneer. He piloted the first transpacific flight and the first flight between Australia and New Zealand.
Kingsford Smith was ...
and Jean Batten
Jane Gardner Batten (15 September 1909 – 22 November 1982), commonly known as Jean Batten, was a New Zealand aviator, making a number of record-breaking solo flights across the world. She is notable for completing the first solo flight fro ...
.
Commanded by Group Captain Hippolyte "Kanga" De La Rue, Richmond's combat units at the outbreak of World War II included No. 3 Squadron (flying Hawker Demons), Nos. 6 and 22 Squadrons (Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) ...
s), and No. 9 Squadron ( Supermarine Seagulls). On 4 September 1939, the day after Australia declared war, the base's first wartime sortie
A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint. The term originated in siege warf ...
took place, a flight of three Ansons and three Seagulls patrolling the ocean off Sydney.[ Richmond expanded significantly during the war, and many flying units originated there including No. 11 Squadron in September 1939, No. 30 (Beaufighter) Squadron and No. 100 (Beaufort) Squadron in March 1942, No. 54 Squadron RAF in August 1942, No. 452 Squadron RAF in September 1942, No. 1 (Fighter) Wing in October 1942, and No. 84 (Boomerang) Squadron in February 1943. Several auxiliaries were also formed including training schools, salvage units, and over thirty ]radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
stations. No. 2 Recruit Depot came into being in January 1940,[ and the resultant expansion of temporary accommodation resulted in a "tin city" on the fringes of the base. The ]Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
also utilised the base for parachute training. No. 3 RAAF Hospital was established in October 1940.[ Following the war, Richmond became home to most of the RAAF's ]transport aircraft Transport aircraft is a broad category of aircraft that includes:
* Airliners, aircraft, usually large and most often operated by airlines, intended for carrying multiple passengers or cargo in commercial service
* Cargo aircraft or freighters, fix ...
. No. 86 (Transport) Wing, made up of Nos. 36 and 38 Squadrons flying C-47 Dakotas, arrived from RAAF Station Schofields
RAAF Station ''Schofields'' is a former Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base and aerodrome located at , a suburb of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The aerodrome was used during World War II and was in operation between 1 ...
in June 1949. The wing relocated to Canberra in 1954, but returned to Richmond four years later.[ No. 11 Squadron, which had disbanded in 1946, returned to Richmond in 1954 operating ]P-2 Neptune
The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by the United States Navy prior to September 1962) is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and ...
maritime reconnaissance aircraft, and remained until transferring to RAAF Base Edinburgh
RAAF Base Edinburgh is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located in Edinburgh approximately north of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and forms part of the Edinburgh Defence Precinct.
The base is primarily home to No 9 ...
, South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
in 1968.[
Headquarters RAAF Base Richmond was formed in April 1952 to replace the former Station Headquarters, along with a subordinate unit, Base Squadron Richmond, for the day-to-day running of the establishment.] The base was evacuated in February 1956 due to the threat of rising floodwaters nearby, the only time in its history that flooding in the Hawkesbury region became serious enough to warrant such action.[ In 1958–59, No. 36 Squadron began operating its first C-130 Hercules heavy transports,][ which were augmented by No. 38 Squadron's DHC-4 Caribou tactical transports in 1964. No. 86 Wing was disbanded in August that year,][ but reformed in February 1987, under the newly established Headquarters Air Lift Group that replaced the former Base Headquarters. At the same time, Base Squadron was reformed as Base Support Wing. No. 86 Wing took control of No. 33 Squadron, operating Boeing 707 jet tanker/transports, as well as Nos. 36 and 37 Squadrons, flying Hercules. No. 486 Maintenance Squadron and Air Movements Training and Development Unit (AMTDU) were also under its aegis at Richmond.][ The Hercules, Caribous and 707s became synonymous with disaster relief and emergency transport in Australia and the region, as well as deploying on overseas peacekeeping missions. Richmond was the venue for many air shows including, in 1988, the largest staged in Australia to that date, celebrating the ]Australian Bicentenary
The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1988. It marked 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788.
History
The bicentennial year marked Captain Arthur Phillip's arrival with the 11 ships ...
.[ The base also staged the RAAF's 70th Anniversary Air show in 1991, the same year that the Hercules achieved 500,000 accident-free hours of operation.]
By the early 2000s, No. 33 Squadron had been transferred to the recently re-established No. 84 Wing, and AMTDU to No. 85 Wing, while the Base Support Wing had been superseded by Combat Support Unit Richmond. No. 36 Squadron, having transferred its C-130Hs to No. 37 Squadron and re-equipped with the C-17 Globemaster
The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two ...
, relocated to RAAF Base Amberley
RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located southwest of Ipswich, Queensland in Australia and southwest of Brisbane CBD. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron (operating the F/A-18F Super Hornet), ...
, Queensland, in November 2006. The RAAF's DHC-4 Caribous, which had been operated for some years by No. 38 Squadron out of RAAF Base Townsville
RAAF Base Townsville (formerly RAAF Base Garbutt) is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) air base located in , west of Townsville in Queensland, Australia. It is the headquarters for No. 1 Wing Australian Air Force Cadets and, along with ...
, were retired at the end of 2009, to be replaced by Super King Air
The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The Model 200 and Model 300 series were originally marketed as the "Super King Air" family; the "Super" designation was dropped in 1996. ...
s built by Hawker Pacific. No. 37 Squadron was transferred from No. 86 Wing to No. 84 Wing on 1 October 2010. In January 2013, No. 35 Squadron was re-formed at Richmond, under the control of No. 84 Wing. Initially a cadre, the squadron will expand to approximately 250 personnel by 2015, when it will begin operating the RAAF's ten C-27J Spartan
The Alenia C-27J Spartan is a military transport aircraft developed and manufactured by Leonardo's Aircraft Division (formerly Alenia Aermacchi until 2016). It is an advanced derivative of Alenia Aeronautica's earlier G.222 (C-27A Spartan in ...
transport aircraft.
In the 1980s, RAAF Base Richmond had been strongly considered as a second international airport for Sydney, but no decision was taken at the time.[ By 2009, it was reported as being the New South Wales Government's preferred location for a secondary airport, but that any decision on a location would be the Federal Government's responsibility. In July 2012, the Federal Government decided against Richmond as a second airport, but had commissioned a study into whether the base could be employed for "limited civil operations". In September 2016 the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal ]Leo Davies
Air Marshal Gavin Neil "Leo" Davies, (born 5 September 1960) is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). A navigator who retrained as a pilot, he joined the RAAF in 1979, commanded No. 1 Squadron RAAF (2002–03) and ...
, stated that the RAAF favoured closing RAAF Base Richmond during the next 15 years as its functions had been declining, and the major investment in infrastructure needed to bring it to a "fighting state" could be better spent upgrading other bases. However, Minister for Defence Marise Payne
Marise Ann Payne (born 29 July 1964) is an Australian politician who served in the Morrison Government as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022 and as Minister for Women from 2019 to 2022. She has been a Senator for New South Wales si ...
stated that the Government was not considering closing the base.
In 2014, the NSW Rural Fire Service began using Richmond as a base for its Large Air Tanker (LAT) and Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT) program. During the Australian summer, the NSW RFS will have a variety of aircraft available including a C-130 Hercules, Avro RJ85, Boeing 737 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10 as well as smaller lead-in aircraft. As of 2019, the NSW RFS has purchased its own Boeing 737 which is now permanently based at Richmond.
Units
The following units are located at RAAF Base Richmond:
Gallery
P00448.195RichmondWapitis.jpg, Westland Wapiti
The Westland Wapiti was a British two-seat general-purpose military single-engined biplane of the 1920s. It was designed and built by Westland Aircraft Works to replace the Airco DH.9A in Royal Air Force service.
First flying in 1927, the Wa ...
s of No. 3 Squadron in the Richmond area, October 1932
54 Sqn RAF pilots Richmond 1942.jpg, No. 54 Squadron Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 ...
pilots, Richmond, 1942
File-86 Wing (AWM P00448-093).jpg, No. 86 Wing Dakotas during a fly-past in 1952
See also
* List of airports in Greater Sydney
This is a list of current and previous airports in the Greater Sydney area of New South Wales.
__TOC__
List of airports
The list is sorted by the name of the community served, click the sort buttons in the table header to switch listing orde ...
* List of airports in New South Wales
This is an incomplete list of airports in the Australian state of New South Wales.
__TOC__
List of airports
The list is sorted by the name of the community served, click the sort buttons in the table header to switch listing order. Cities in b ...
* List of Royal Australian Air Force installations
This is a list of current and previous Royal Australian Air Force airstrips, aerodromes and bases. The air force also owns and maintains "bare bases" in remote areas of Australia. These bases have runways and buildings, but only a caretaker st ...
* No. 131 Radar Station RAAF
No. 131 Radar Station RAAF is a heritage-listed former Royal Australian Air Force radar station at Kooragang, City of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. They are also known as the Radar Igloo and Radar Buildings. They now operate as the ...
References
External links
RAAF Base Richmond
a
airforce.gov.au
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richmond
Royal Australian Air Force bases
Military installations in New South Wales
1916 establishments in Australia
Airports in New South Wales
Airports in Greater Sydney
Airports established in 1916
Military airbases established in 1916
Hawkesbury River
Richmond, New South Wales