List of Royal Australian Air Force installations

This is a list of current and previous Royal Australian Air Force 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 staff. They are generally only used for exercises as there are no units permanently based there.

Current bases

Queensland

• RAAF Base Amberley, Ipswich (near Brisbane)
• RAAF Scherger near Weipa (bare base)
• RAAF Base Townsville, Townsville

New South Wales

• RAAF Base Glenbrook, Glenbrook (near Sydney)
• Defence Establishment Orchard Hills, Orchard Hills (near Sydney)
• RAAF Base Richmond, Richmond (near Sydney)
• RAAF Base Wagga, Wagga Wagga
• RAAF Base Williamtown, Williamtown (near Newcastle)

Australian Capital Territory

• Fairbairn, Canberra

Victoria

• RAAF Base East Sale, Sale
• RAAF Williams, Laverton Base, Laverton (near Melbourne)
• RAAF Williams, Point Cook Base, Point Cook (near Melbourne)

South Australia

• RAAF Base Edinburgh, Salisbury (near Adelaide)
• Woomera Airfield near Woomera (training area and live fire range)

Western Australia

• RAAF Curtin near Derby (bare base)
• RAAF Gingin, Gingin (airfield only)
• RAAF Learmonth near Exmouth (bare base)
• RAAF Base Pearce, Bullsbrook (near Perth)

Northern Territory

• RAAF Base Darwin, Darwin
• RAAF Base Tindal, Katherine

Former Headquarters

• RAAF Area Combined Headquarters, North-Eastern area, Townsville, Queensland. Relocated from Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
• RAAF Area Combined Headquarters, North-Western area, Darwin, Northern Territory.
• RAAF Area Combined Headquarters, South-Eastern area, Melbourne, Victoria.
• RAAF Area Combined Headquarters, South-Western area, Fremantle, Western Australia.

Former bases in Australia

Australian Capital Territory

• RAAF Base Fairbairn, Canberra - now Fairbairn Business Park and part of Canberra International Airport. Decommissioned as an RAAF base in 2003 although No. 34 Squadron (VIP transport) is still based there.

New South Wales

• RAAF Base Albion Park, Albion Park
• RAAF Base Coffs Harbour, Coffs Harbour
• RAAF Base Evans Head, Evans Head
• RAAF Jervis Bay, Jervis Bay
• RAAF Base Moruya, Moruya
• RAAF Base Nabiac, Nabiac
• RAAF Base Rathmines, Rathmines - The largest flying boat base in Australia.
• RAAF Base Temora, Temora
• RAAF Base Uranquinty, Uranquinty - 1941–45 Pilot training, and 1947–52 No.1 Basic Flying Training School for RAAF & RAN

Northern Territory

• RAAF Base Daly Waters, Daly Waters

Queensland

• RAAF Base Bowen, Bowen
• RAAF Base Cairns, Cairns

South Australia

• RAAF Base Mallala, Mallala

Victoria

• RAAF Base Mildura, Mildura
• RAAF Base West Sale, Sale

Stations in Australia

RAAF Stations were principally civil airfields with a permanent RAAF Station Headquarters and used for operational flying.

• RAAF Station Archerfield, Archerfield Airport, Brisbane, Queensland.
• RAAF Station Bairnsdale, Bairnsdale, Victoria.
• RAAF Station Bowen, Bowen, Queensland. Disbanded and reformed as RAAF Base Bowen.
• RAAF Station Bulga, Bulga, New South Wales
• RAAF Station Bundaberg, Bundaberg, Queensland.
• RAAF Station Camden, Camden, New South Wales
• RAAF Station Cunderdin, Cunderdin, Western Australia.
• RAAF Station Deniliquin, Deniliquin, New South Wales
• RAAF Station Evans Head, Evans Head, New South Wales.
• RAAF Station Guildford, Guildford, Western Australia
• RAAF Station Mascot, Mascot, New South Wales
• RAAF Station Narrandera, Narrandera, New South Wales
• RAAF Station Narromine, Narromine, New South Wales
• RAAF Station Nowra, Nowra, New South Wales
• RAAF Station Pokolbin, Cessnock, New South Wales
• RAAF Station Sandgate, Brisbane, Queensland.
• RAAF Station Schofields, Schofields, New South Wales.
• RAAF Station Tocumwal, Tocumwal, New South Wales.
• RAAF Station Wagga, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.
• RAAF Station West Sale, West Sale, Victoria.

Airfields in Australia

Civil or temporary airfields used by the RAAF and allied air forces during World War II for operational flying but which did not have a permanent RAAF Station Headquarters.

New South Wales

Sydney Basin

• Bankstown Aerodrome, Bankstown, New South Wales
• Bargo
• Bringelly Emergency Landing Ground, Bringelly, New South Wales.
• Calwalla
• Camden see RAAF Station Camden
• Castlereagh Aerodrome, Castlereagh, New South Wales
• Fleurs Aerodrome, Kemps Creek, New South Wales
• Hoxton Park Landing Ground, Hoxton Park, New South Wales - Emergency and training field
• Marsden Park Aerodrome, Marsden Park, New South Wales
• Mascot see RAAF Station Mascot
• Menangle Aerodrome, Menangle Park, New South Wales - Satellite of Schofields
• Mittagong Aerodrome
• Moss Vale
• Mount Druitt Aerodrome, Mount Druitt, New South Wales
• Nepean Dam
• Pitt Town
• Ravenswood - Satellite of Fleur (not proceeded with)
• Richmond Aerodrome see RAAF Base Richmond
• Schofields Aerodrome see RAAF Station Schofields
• The Oaks Aerodrome, The Oaks, New South Wales - Satellite of Camden
• Wallgrove Aerodrome (Doonside), Doonside, New South Wales

Hunter & Central Coast

• Broke Aerodrome, Broke, New South Wales, satellite of RAAF Station Bulga.
• Bulga Aerodrome, see RAAF Station Bulga.
• Cessnock Aerodrome
• Dungog Aerodrome, Wallarobba, New South Wales, satellite of RAAF Base Williamtown.
• Glendon Aerodrome
• Hexham Aerodrome
• Hotham Aerodrome
• Newcastle Aerodrome (Broadmeadow, District Park), Broadmeadow, Newcastle
• Pokolbin Aerodrome see RAAF Station Pokolbin
• Rathmines see RAAF Base Rathmines
• Rothbury Aerodrome, Rothbury, New South Wales, satellite of RAAF Station Pokolbin (not proceeded with)
• Ringwood Aerodrome, Eagleton, New South Wales
• Nandowra Aerodrome, Scone, New South Wales
• Strowan Aerodrome, Jerrys Plains, New South Wales, satellite of RAAF Station Bulga.
• Tuggerah Aerodrome, Tuggerah, New South Wales, satellite of Fleurs Aerodrome.
• Williamtown see RAAF Base Williamtown
• Warkworth Aerodrome, Warkworth, New South Wales, satellite of RAAF Station Bulga.
• Weston Aerodrome, Weston, New South Wales, satellite of RAAF Station Pokolbin (not proceeded with)
• Woy Woy Aerodrome, Woy Woy, New South Wales, satellite of RAAF Station Schofields & HMS Nabthorpe.

North Coast & New England

• Coffs Harbour Aerodrome, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales
• Clairville Aerodrome, Glen Innes, New South Wales
• Evans Head Aerodrome, see RAAF Station Evans Head
• Glen Innes Aerodrome, Glen Innes, New South Wales
• Guyra Aerodrome, Guyra, New South Wales
• Nabiac Aerodrome, see RAAF Base Nabiac
• Wellingrove Aerodrome, Wellingrove, New South Wales

Darling Plains

• Burroway
• Buckwoodlands
• Calala
• Dandaloo
• Dubbo
• Gidley
• Iowa
• Jones
• Minore
• Mogriguy
• Narromine, see RAAF Station Narromine
• Piggot
• Tamworth
• Timbrebongie
• Trangie
• Trescowthick
• Woodlands

Central West

• Blowclear
• Brolgan
• Copper Ridge
• Fish River Aerodrome, Fish River.
• Goulburn Landing Ground, Goulburn, New South Wales.
• Goobang East
• Lake Cargelligo
• Millthorpe
• Orange
• Parkes, see RAAF Station Parkes.
• Raglan
• Spring Creek Reservoir
• Tichbourne

Murrumbidgee

• Belfrayden
• Bundidjarie
• Combaning
• Cootamundra
• Cudjello
• Forest Hill
• Gobbabaula
• Grong Grong Road
• Junee Road
• Kendalls
• Lake Albert
• Lake Coolah
• Narrandera, see RAAF Station Narrandera
• Pucawan
• Temora
• Tootool
• Uranquinty, see RAAF Base Uranquinty
• Wagga Road
• Wagga Wagga RAAF
• Yarragundry
• Young Road

Murray

• Allandale
• Albury
• Bradley Field
• Corowa
• Deniliquin, see RAAF Station Deniliquin.
• Denison
• Dry Forest
• Hopefield
• Leetham Field
• Morocco
• Stud Park
• Tocumwal
• Wait O While
• Wandook
• Wangonilla
• Warbreccan

South Coast

• Albion Park Aerodrome, see RAAF Base Albion Park
• Cordeaux Aerodrome, Cordeux Dam, New South Wales.
• Jervis Bay, see RAAF Base Jervis Bay
• Moruya Airfield (World War II installations), Moruya Airport, New South Wales.
• Nowra, see RAAF Station Nowra
• Vineyards Aerodrome

Western Plains

• Broken Hill
• Cobar
• Lake Victoria
• North Bourke
• Roto
• Wentworth

Norfolk Island

• Norfolk Island Airfield, Norfolk Island.

Northern Territory

Decommissioned control tower and hangar at the former Airfield Gove.

• Adelaide River Emergency Landing Ground, near Adelaide River, Northern Territory.
• Alice Springs Airfield (7 Mile), Alice Springs, Northern Territory.
• Austin Strip (RAAF Melville Island), Milikapiti, Melville Island, Northern Territory
• Batchelor Airfield, Batchelor, Northern Territory
• Bathurst Island Airfield, Bathurst Island, Northern Territory.
• Berry Springs
• Birdum Airfield, Birdum, Northern Territory.
• Blyth No. 1 E.L.G.
• Brunette Downs
• Coomalie Creek Airfield, Coomalie Creek, Northern Territory
• Cape Fourcroy
• Carson's Field, Katherine, Northern Territory
• Daly Waters Airfield, see RAAF Daly Waters.
• Fenton Airfield, Hayes Creek, Northern Territory
• Gorrie Airfield, Larrimah, Northern Territory
• Gould Airfield, Batchelor, Northern Territory
• Gove Airfield (Melville Bay Airfield), Gove Peninsula, Northern Territory.
• Groote Eylandt Airfield, Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory.
• Hughes Airfield (32 Mile), Noonamah, Northern Territory
• Katherine Airfield, Katherine, Northern Territory
• Koolpinyah H.S. E.L.G.
• Livingstone Airfield (34 Mile), Livingstone, Northern Territory
• Long Airfield, Hayes Creek, Northern Territory
• Manbulloo Airfield, Manbulloo Station, Katherine, Northern Territory
• MacDonald Airfield, North of Pine Creek, Northern Territory
• Maranboy E.L.G.
• Milingimbi Airfield, Milingimbi Island, Northern Territory.
• O'Connor's Field, Howard Island, Northern Territory.
• Oenpelli Emergency Landing Ground, Alligator River, Northern Territory.
• Parap Airfield (Darwin Aerodrome/Ross Smith Aerodrome), Parap, Northern Territory
• Pell Airfield, SE of Batchelor, Northern Territory east of Stuart Highway.
• Pine Creek Airfield, Pine Creek, Northern Territory.
• Port Keats Airfield, Port Keats, Northern Territory
• Reynolds No. 4 Emergency Landing Ground, Reynolds, Northern Territory.
• Strauss Airfield (27 Mile Field, Humpty Doo Strip), Noonamah, Northern Territory.
• Tennant Creek Airfield, Tennant Creek, Northern Territory.
• Tipperary No. 9 Emergency Landing Ground
• Venn
• Willing
• Woolyanna No. 8B Emergency Landing Ground

Queensland

• Aitkenvale Aerodrome (Weir), , Townsville
• Antil Plains Aerodrome, Antill Plains
• Amberley, see RAAF Base Amberley
• Archerfield, see RAAF Station Archerfield
• Augustus Downs
• Balfe's Creek

Bohle River Aerodrome, Townsville

• Bowen, see RAAF Base Bowen
• Breddan Aerodrome, ,
• Brunette Downs
• Brymaroo
• Bundaberg, see RAAF Station Bundaberg
• Cairns, see RAAF Base Cairns
• Canobie Station
• Carpentaria Downs
• Charleville Aerodrome, Charleville
• Cloncurry Aerodrome,
• Cooktown Aerodrome (Cooktown Mission), Cooktown
• Dunk Island
• Eagle Farm Airfield, Brisbane, Queensland
• Elliot
• Fanning
• , see RAAF Base Garbutt
• Giru
• Higgins Field (Red Island Point, Red Point, Jacky Jacky or Bamaga)
• Horn Island Aerodrome, Horn Island
• Iron Range Aerodrome (Claudie & Gordon), Iron Range
• Kingaroy

  

  Aircraft firing butts, Kingaroy, Queensland, photographed 2008.

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Longreach

• Lowood
• Mackay
• Maryborough
• Milgarra station
• Mount Hedlow
• Mitchell River Mission
• Mornington Island Airfield, Mornington Island, Queensland.
• Mount Isa
• Mount St. John
• Oakey
• Petrie
• Powlathunga
• Reid River
• Rockhampton
• Ross River
• (ELG)
• Southport Waterfield
• Strathglass
• Strathpine
• Stock Route
• Toowoomba
• Upper Ross River (Kelso Field)

Wondoola Station

• Woodstock
• Wrotham Park

South Australia

• Ceduna Airfield, Ceduna
• Gawler Aerodrome, Gawler
• Kingscote Airfield, Kangaroo Island
• Mount Gambier Airfield, Mount Gambier
• Oodnadatta Airfield, Oodnadatta
• Parafield Airfield, Adelaide
• Port Lincoln Airfield, Port Lincoln
• Port Pirie Airfield, Port Pirie

Tasmania

• Auburn Landing Ground (not proceeded with)
• Cambridge Aerodrome, Hobart
• Currie Aerodrome, Currie, King Island
• Nile Relief Landing Ground, Nile
• Pats River Aerodrome, Flinders Island
• Quorn Hall Aerodrome, Campbell Town
• Tunbridge Aerodrome, Tunbridge
• Valleyfield Aerodrome, Valleyfield (near Epping Forest)
• Western Junction Aerodrome, Launceston

Victoria

• Ararat Aerodrome, Ararat.
• Bacchus Marsh Aerodrome, Bacchus Marsh
• Bairnsdale, see RAAF Station Bairnsdale
• Ballarat, see RAAF Station Ballarat
• Benalla Aerodrome, Benalla
• Craigieburn Aerodrome, Craigieburn
• Cranbourne
• Cressy Aerodrome, Cressy
• Dutson
• East Stratford, not proceeded with
• Essendon Aerodrome, Essendon
• Exford, dispersal aerodrome for Laverton
• Fishermen's Bend Aerodrome, Fishermen's Bend
• Flynn's Creek, not proceeded with
• Gifford
• Glengarry
• Greenhills
• Heath Hill
• Koo-wee-rup
• Lakeside
• Lara
• Little River
• Mallacoota Aerodrome, Mallacoota
• Mangalore West Aerodrome, Mangaloe
• Maryvale
• Mildura, see RAAF Base Mildura
• Monomeith Aerodrome, Monomeith
• Mordialloc, emergency landing aerodrome
• Murchison East Aerodrome, Murchison
• Nambrok
• Nhill Aerodrome, Nhill, Victoria
• Oaklands
• Point Cook, see RAAF Base Point Cook
• Swan Hill Aerodrome, Swan Hill
• Truganina, dispersal aerodrome for Laverton
• Warrnambool Aerodrome, Warrnambool
• Werribee Aerodrome, Werribee
• West Sale, see RAAF Base West Sale
• Wilsons Promontory Aerodrome, Wilsons Promontory
• Wooloomanata Aerodrome, Wooloomanata Station
• Yelta, relief landing ground for Mildura

Western Australia

• Ajana
• Albany Airfield, Albany
• Anna Plains
• Beverley
• Bindoon
• Broome Airfield, Broome
• Bunbury Aerodrome, Bunbury
• Busselton Airfield, Busselton
• Campbell
• Cape Leveque
• Carnarvon Airfield, Carnarvon
• Corunna Downs Airfield, Corunna Downs
• Cue
• Derby
• Dowerin South
• Drysdale Mission Airfield
• Esperance Airfield, Esperance
• Exmouth Gulf
• Exmouth Gulf No. 2
• Forrest
• Geraldton
• Gingin North
• Guildford, Western Australia, see RAAF Station Guildford
• Hillman
• Kalgoorlie
• Kununoppin
• Maylands Airfield, Maylands
• Meckering
• Meekatharra
• Merredin ELG
• Moora
• Middle Swan (Caversham), Caversham
• Muchea East
• Minderoo
• Mooliabeenee
• Narrogin West
• Narrogin East
• Nookanbah (Noonkanbah) Airfield, Noonkanbah Station
• North West Cape
• Onslow
• Pearce
• Perth
• Pinjarra North
• Port Hedland
• Rockwell
• Roebourne
• Three Springs
• Truscott Airfield, Anjo Peninsula
• Upper Swan
• Wagin
• Wyndham
• Yalgoo
• Yanrey

Flying boat stations in Australia

• Broome Flying Boat Base, Broome, Western Australia.
• Colmslie Flying Boat Base, Brisbane, Queensland. Shared with US Naval Air Station, Brisbane.
• Doctor's Gully Flying Boat Base, Darwin, Northern Territory.
• Hamilton Flying Boat Base, Brisbane, Queensland.
• Karumba Flying Boat Base, , Queensland.
• Lake Boga Flying Boat Base, Lake Boga, Victoria. Flying boat repair facility.
• Melville Bay Flying Boat Base, Melville Bay, Northern Territory.
• RAAF Marine Section Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia.
• RAAF Marine Section Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland.
• RAAF Marine Section Bowen, Bowen, Queensland.
• RAAF Marine Section Bundaberg, Bundaberg, Queensland.
• RAAF Marine Section Cairns, Cairns, Queensland.
• RAAF Marine Section Cockatoo Island, Cockatoo Island, Western Australia.
• RAAF Marine Section East Arm, Darwin, Northern Territory.
• RAAF Marine Section Evans Head, Evans Head, New South Wales.
• RAAF Marine Section Fremantle, Fremantle, Western Australia.
• RAAF Marine Section Geraldton, Geraldton, Western Australia.
• RAAF Marine Section Groote Island, Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory.
• RAAF Marine Section Jervis Bay, Jervis Bay.
• RAAF Marine Section Lake Boga, Lake Boga, Victoria.
• RAAF Marine Section Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria.
• RAAF Marine Section Millingimbi, Milingimbi, Northern Territory.
• RAAF Marine Section Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales.
• RAAF Marine Section Paynesville, Paynesville, Victoria.
• RAAF Marine Section Perth, Perth, Western Australia.
• RAAF Marine Section Point Cook, Point Cook, Victoria.
• RAAF Marine Section Potshot, near Exmouth, Western Australia.
• RAAF Marine Section Thursday Island, Thursday Island, Queensland.
• RAAF Marine Section Townsville, Townsville, Queensland.
• Redland Bay Flying Boat Base, , near Brisbane, Queensland.
• Rathmines Flying Boat Base, Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, South of Newcastle.
• Rose Bay Flying Boat Base, Rose Bay, Sydney, New South Wales.
• St George's Basin Flying Boat Base, near Jervis Bay.

Bases overseas

Australian or allied bases at which RAAF units were permanently stationed.

• RAAF Area Combined Headquarters, North-Eastern area, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Later moved to Townsville, Queensland.
• Butterworth Air Base, Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia (formerly RAAF Base Butterworth). Some RAAF units were based at Butterworth Air Base as part of the Five Power Defence Arrangements.
• RAAF Base Cocos Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Indian Ocean.
• RAAF Base Tengah was collocated with RAF Tengah in the 1950s at what is now Tengah Airbase, Singapore. No 1 Squadron Lincoln Bombers were based there for most of the 1950s, and other units were also there at times.
• RAAF Base Port Moresby, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
• RAAF Ubon, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.
• RAF Siu Sai Wan, Hong Kong.

Airfields overseas

Civil, temporary or captured airfields used by the RAAF during World War II.

• Dili Airfield, Dili, Timor.
• Kila Kila Airfield, near Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
• Milne Bay Airbase Complex, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. Consisting of Turnbull Field, Gurney Field and Gurney Flying Boat Base.
• Mokmer Airfield, Biak Island, Dutch New Guinea.
• Sandakan Airfield, Sabah, British North Borneo.
• Tarakan Airfield, Tarakan, Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia.
• Wards Airfield, near Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

Flying boat stations overseas

Australian and allied flying boat bases used by the RAAF during World War II.

• Cape Chater Flying Boat Base, Cape Chater, Timor.
• Gorontalo Flying Boat Base, Gorontalo, Sulawesi, Indonesia.
• Gurney Flying Boat Base, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. Part of Milne Bay Airbase.
• Lingayen Gulf Flying Boat Base, Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippines.
• Port Vila Flying Boat Base, Port Vila, New Hebrides.
• Port Moresby Flying Boat Base, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
• Fakfak Flying Boat Base, Fakfak, Dutch New Guinea.
• Yampi Sound Flying Boat Base, Yampi Sound, Indian Ocean.

References

• Lake Boga at War, Brett Freeman; ISBN 0-646-24705-0
• A Potted History of the RAAF