Caversham Airfield, also known as Middle Swan Airfield was an airfield constructed at Caversham, Western Australia 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 opposing ...

as a parent aerodrome for use by the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...

and the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

.OzatWar Website
/ref> The airfield had a triangle of three landing strips. Middle Swan was the parent airfield with the following satellite airfields: *Beverley *Bindoon *Gingin North * Mooliabeenee The

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

also utilised the airfield during World War II. It was also a gliding club location after the war.

Motor racing circuit

The airfield was later utilised as a motor racing circuit, hosting its first event in 1946. Pedr Davis, The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, page 78 In 1956 the Western Australia Sporting Car Club gained a lease for the property, which was then converted into a permanent circuit. It became Western Australia's premier motor racing venue, hosting the Australian Grand Prix in

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year ...

and

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

and the Six Hour Le Mans endurance race from 1955 to 1968. Racing activities ceased when the airfield was re-activated as a military facility for radio communications, and Western Australian racing shifted to

Wanneroo Raceway Wanneroo Raceway, currently known as CARCO.com.au Raceway for naming rights reasons, is a motorsport circuit located in Neerabup, approximately north of Perth in Western Australia. It was built by the WA Sporting Car Club. The circuit was ...

in 1969.

Motor racing circuit

See also

Notes

References

Further reading