WINTON EAST AIRFIELD
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII

A new airfield was required at Winton for larger wartime aircraft and for use as part of the US aircraft ferry route. The existing 1930s airfield was unable to be extended due to gullies / hills in the immediate vicinity of the airfield. The new airfield was built to north east of the town of Winton in 1942.

It continued to be expanded post-war and is still in use as the town's airfield today, located at Lat -22.360377 / Long 143.084406. This is presumably the airfield that Roger Marks lists as "Winton (East)" in his Appendices in his book on Queensland WWII Airfields.

Queensland Main Roads Commission reported in a letter dated 18 September 1942, that construction on this airfield was underway and that the land comprised:-

• Part of Portion 44 Trucking Reserve R.29) Parish of Winton
• Part of Winton - Corfield 1 mile Stock Route.
• Portions 49 and 50, Parish of Winton, Freehold owned by Patterson Bros, Rangelands, Winton.

Queensland MRC stated in the letter that other areas which may be required later were:-

• Portion 16, Parish of Winton, Freehold held by Winton Shire Council comprising a strip of land of an average width of 2,000 feet along and within the south-easterly boundary of the Portion and containing an area of about 250 acres..
• Portion 46, Parish of Winton, Freehold held by Nelson Bros. of Winton. comprising an area of about 30 acres in the south eastern corner of the Portion.

At the time the letter was written only the runway bearing 143 degrees was under construction.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Daniel Leahy for his assistance with this web page

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 5 March 2021

This page last updated 05 March 2021