Ballarat Airport (known officially as the Ballarat Aerodrome) is located west of

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

in the outer suburb of Mitchell Park,

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 ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

History

Pilot training was first offered on the Ballarat Common in 1914–15. In 1934, the airport was formalised with the construction of a tin hangar.

No. 1 Wireless Air Gunners School (1 WAGS)

In 1940, the site was resumed by the

Commonwealth of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, and a

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF) airfield known as

Empire Air Training Scheme The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), or Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zea ...

No 1 Wireless Air Gunners School was established (EATS 1 WAGS) at the Ballarat Showgrounds on 22 April 1940. The hangar already on the site was relocated to the Commonwealth Flax Mill, and four Bellman hangars and numerous "P" (personnel) Huts were erected. In mid-1940, the Wireless Air Gunners School relocated to the aerodrome. During its operation as a WAGS the wireless operators were mainly trained in panel vans and, from mid-1941, in

CAC Wackett The CAC Wackett Trainer was the first aircraft type designed in-house by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation of Australia. The name was derived from its designer Lawrence Wackett. "In acknowledgement of the CAC Manager's enormous contribution, ...

trainer aircraft. The Wackett was used up until 1941 and then an

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) a ...

was used up until 1945. The Avro Anson was a twin-engined aeroplane, coloured yellow for training purposes. It was flown around the Ballarat region and western Victoria. No 1 WAGS was disbanded on 31 December 1945.

Post War

Unlike many other EATS sites, the RAAF retained the airfield as its Radio School until 1961. The then-

Shire of Ballarat The Shire of Ballarat was a local government area immediately to the northwest and west of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1856 until 1994. History Ballarat was first incor ...

negotiated with the Department of Interior to become the civil operator of the airfield and sought the maintenance on site of the hangars and other structures, but a majority of the P Huts were sold by the Commonwealth. In 2006, the aerodrome was recommended for listing on the

Victorian Heritage Register The Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) lists places deemed to be of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 2017. The Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister. H ...

due to its ability to illustrate the Empire Air Training Scheme in Victoria. The site was included on the register on 27 July 2007. The aerodrome continues to perform an important role in emergency services operations, civil operations and flight training, and as accommodation for many community groups and organisations. The

Ballarat Aviation Museum Ballarat Aviation Museum is an Australian aviation museum located at Ballarat Airport in Ballarat, Victoria (Australia), Victoria. Among other exhibits it contains a CAC Wirraway, an Ikara (missile), Ikara anti-submarine missile, a Mignet Pou-du-C ...

is located at the airport, as is the Friends of the Anson Air Museum.

Motorsport

The airfield had a brief motor racing career, beginning on

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Ja ...

in 1947 when it held its first motor race meeting. Racing returned in November of both 1950 and 1951, then finally for an International

Formula Libre Formula Libre, also known as Formule Libre, is a form of automobile racing allowing a wide variety of types, ages and makes of purpose-built racing cars to compete "head to head". This can make for some interesting matchups, and provides the oppor ...

race, the

1961 Victorian Trophy The 1961 Victorian Trophy was an International motor race staged at the Ballarat Air Strip circuit in Victoria, Australia on 12 February 1961.Official Programme, International Motor Race Meeting, Ballarat Air Strip, Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th F ...

, in February 1961, which was attended by some European

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

teams.

BRM British Racing Motors (BRM) was a British Formula One motor racing team. Founded in 1945 and based in the market town of Bourne in Lincolnshire, it participated from 1951 to 1977, competing in 197 grands prix and winning seventeen. BRM wo ...

factory drivers

Dan Gurney Daniel Sexton Gurney (April 13, 1931 – January 14, 2018) was an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner who reached racing's highest levels starting in 1958. Gurney won races in the Formula One, Indy Car, NASCAR, Can-Am, ...

and

Graham Hill Norman Graham Hill (15 February 1929 – 29 November 1975) was a British racing driver and team owner, who was the Formula One World Champion twice, winning in and as well as being runner up on three occasions (1963, 1964 and 1965). Despite ...

finished first and second in the major race, the Victoria Trophy with Ron Flockhart third in a

Cooper Cooper, Cooper's, Coopers and similar may refer to: * Cooper (profession), a maker of wooden casks and other staved vessels Arts and entertainment * Cooper (producers), alias of Dutch producers Klubbheads * Cooper (video game character), in ...

. Famously on the night before the race Gurney's car was stolen from its hangar and driven into or hidden with, hay bales out on the track with minimal damage.

References

* * Shire of Ballarat History

External links

Ballarat Aviation Museum

Heritage Victoria
{{authority control Airports in Victoria (Australia) Motorsport venues in Victoria (Australia) Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Australia Sports venues in Victoria (Australia) Victorian Heritage Register Grampians (region)

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...