Toowoomba Airfield during WW2

TOOWOOMBA AIRFIELD
DURING WW2

In late November 1926, the Australian Minister for Defence, Major Marr announced that the Federal Government had purchased 88 acres of land for Ł1,000 near Clifford Park and not too far from the city area to build an airfield to allow Qantas to establish an air service from Brisbane to Toowoomba. It was to be the first regular unsubsidised air service in Australia. In June 1938, the Minister for Defence, Mr. Harold Victor Thorby announced that the Federal Government would pay half of the Ł500 cost for an extra 14 acres of land to extend the airfield provided the Toowoomba City Council paid the other half of the cost. The Federal Government earned Ł50 in annual revue by allowing cows to graze on the airfield. It may have been known as Wilsonton Airfield leading up to WWII.

When war broke out in Europe, the Toowoomba Airfield came under the control of the Defence Department and was used at various times by the RAAF. A runway was formed, though it was still in effect an allover grass airfield. Wirraways from the RAAF's No. 5 Army Co-operation Squadron were based at Toowoomba airfield from 12 May 1942 until 3 June 1942. The RAAF used the airfield occasionally and maintained it in a serviceable condition during the war years.

After WWII ended, Toowoomba Airfield reverted back to Toowoomba City Council ownership.