RAAF Base Laverton

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Brief History

Point Coot.wa~ the only base in Victoria until 1925 when Laverton was opened to support the lncreased workload in flying and maintenance commitments. The existing wan•hnu'il.., and work..,hop~> .11 l'omt Cu"f.. were madc.1uate to scrvice the c~p.1ndmg numlw"' nf a.rcrafl rcqumng accommodation there. The Alf Board had al'><> d•-.co.crt'<l the ;peed w1th wh1ch machinery stor.'<l in UllM'JI<'<l cam"' h.1nga" .11 Point Cook wa> deteriorating, due to tlw dtN.' pro••m•ty to wa '"'tt•r Th" made Point Cook itsclf an m.>ppropriatc "tc for the growmg 'uppor1l><Juadron A 160-acrc s.t<' o;cvcn k•lomctfl':> north of Pomt Cook, wa_~ decmt'<llhe mO>t practical .. olutinn Th" land, whJ<h had ~n acqU!rt'<l on 1'121 for a total cost of £3528 (S705b), "•" lt>e.llt'<l b<.-hnocn (Old) C.,>elong Rood and 141 142 the mil way line in the Wcrribee Shire, was easily accessible from the city Headquarters, and had the potential to hou!>l! an aircraft landing strip. II was chosen for the equapment services stntion because it adjoined the railway line, the land was reasonably Oat and it~ms could be transferred by road to Point Cook as required. Point Cook was by this time functioning as an efficient and effective pilot traaning centre, and support for c-rews, staff and aircrnft had to be located nearby. A~ a Rosull of Llw Air Bourd's decision to o:stablish a unit at Laverton, I Aircraft Depot wns transferred from Point Cook. TI1e move was completed on I March 1926, and the new depot consisted of one large hangar which includ<'<l the administration block. The estimated cost of t'Stablishing the depot at Laverton in 1923 was 000 000 ($600 000). ln 1928, Lavcrton became home to 1 Squadron. which had been reformed at Point Cook U1ree years earlier. Lwcrton was also the k'Sting ground for >cveral RAAF aircraft, the Wapiti, the Hawker Demon and the Bristol Bulldog amongst them. With war looming. activity at L.wcrton was stepped up and during World War II the Bas<' wa~ the birthplace of some of the squ~drons which were to serve l~ter with distinction in the Pacific U1colre. Lavcrton also s.1w the formation of a paratroop training unit, an equipment training S<:hnol and 150 Radio Direction Finding Unit in May 1943. Many of Lhr units formed moved north, but Laverttm's prime functiun, th.Jt of an aircraft depot, continued throughout lhc War. The Aircraft Research and Development Unit moved to L.werton from Point Cook on 2!i Oct(lber 1948. 6 RAAF IIMpital moved to Lawrton in 1949; the School of Radio moved from Ballarat to Lavcrton in 1961 to join the r.Jdio apprentice school already located there. In June 1946, Lavcrton stcppo.'d proudly into U1e jet ern when a Gloster Mcti!Or made it!. first flight. Shortly after, in May 1947. the first Vampire jet aircraft asscmbkod at 1 Aircroft Depot wa> flown fc>r the first time in Au.strJiio. The first Canberra aircraft arrived frC'Im the United Kingdom in August 1951, and later the first Au>tralian-built Canberra .1ircraft .1rrived for delivery to I AD in july 1953. With a name change in May 1952 to HcMdquarters RAAF Laverton, lhc S.1se continued tC'I be the starting poant for several aircraft types introduced to the Air Force. The first Australian· built S.Jbrc lighter aircraft arrived in September 1953 and the aircraft wcr<.' later commissioned into the RAAF at Laverton in August th~ following year. September 1955 saw the first Australa;m-bualt Wanjcel arrive ot Lnvcrton Base. l)urtn!l llw fa"'t .JQ yl!ar.> of ats opcrahon, Lwerton', lAO was rc:.pon'lble fur the on-rhaul and mamtl'nancc of 42 aarcraft IYI"-"'· In 1961, a change an D.!fL'tlCC pohC)' rcsulteJ an lhL' ck,.,mg down of thl' aircraft repaar 'l'Chon, although aarcraft cnilan'-. wntanut'<l to be o• erh.lull'<l at tht• dcpc11 unbl 1961;. On 6 Marth 1<15-1, the 8.1~ w.1s honour,'() O) ,, 'I \It fmm llcr \laj!"ty Queen Elu,lbeth II Tiw,, an earher ,.i .. t an Scpt,•mber 19:1-1 O) thl' Dul-t' anLI Duchl'S' of GloucL-.tcr to the then n,•Jglan!: I ,aq•rtoo 13.1-c, and a further "'-"II by LorJ .1nd Lady Loub Mnuntb.•tt••n an 19~1>. are th<' recordi'J "I"" by roy.1 lty to thl' Base in it. history tn d.1te. The B., ....... ha"t ho!'ttrd vir;; itors rn1rn mrlny nth(•r cuuntrirs. huwevl'r. During the I 96th, the United Statrs Air l'orcl' ">7 W,•,\llwr R1<ennnois--.1ncc Squadron occupil>d '><'vera I b uildings at Ll\ crtnn. Fur ""'"Y JL<cades, too, the B.l~ ha' olCn>ntmodatL>d \'1'-ltO!'!. from ncaghhmanng wunlfll" 'uch ·~ Papua N••w (.uanca (Niugmi), Pakhtan, Malay\la .1nd New /caland, a" thcv ha' c cat her Ot'l'n studying or tutoring at the Ddcncc lntemahonal Trainang Centre.' A Of Lmguagc School, or on "h.lng<' In th<.• 0) mg t>r traanang ..qu,adruru.. Tod.1y, the me.se. .11 wvcrtcm 8.1~ permanent!} accommodat,• ATm),l\a• y, Au Force and trar'-'ll'nt pt.•r-onnd l..wl'rton tcxl,l) coml.'l> under the au>pace nf 'RA\F Walharru.', a change made an \llarch 1989 which S<lw Poant lool. Jnd Laverton .lma g.m;,J ~cl A' a fl">ult, ;ev.,rat asp<.'CL' of 'upport wluch had bcl'n duplic.ltL' were able tu lw mn'><llidatt•d. The commcrca.lll--.ltlnn of the ca ~ring functions of llol'l' '><l ll·ldn>ai William> has be-en nne nf U1e most noticeable change> tn the f.ace of RAAF In Melbourne. ll>c future of RAAF Wtllaams, la\'Crton B.N;,, " ccrlam to andudc an incrc._t~ in promincn...-e in the sou them Vic.ton.ln n .. ·w~m AlrctuJr a nava) reserw unat and .ur c,>det unit opcrak fmm the B,,,.. wH•rtnn wall be the only fun,honal RAAF 00!>(' to remain m \llelboum~ (," RAJ\ I Willaam;;). Whale " .-r,ll dfl',lS wathan the Base's perimeter arc under an\·c-shJ;Jhon for "" ur te.>~ (indudang trn: airfield and ..om<.• "Mt•hoU'l'S), the uniL~ hnu>L>d ther,• art• -chc'<luk>d to >hare the Ba><• wath lleadquartcr> l.<l!,.,bC:. Comm.md. whach as planned to move from the caty 111" wall m"an an inOU\ or 900 p<.'N>nncl-cll'lhan and mahtar\' M.1ny of '"'"" will fl'<jUirc ne-.,. marr1cd (1\hlriC"' or c;tngle living-Ill .,ccumnmJ,ltu.m. tlnd the prospc'Ct Of CXpJndang the current fuclhhl., In (Mr) the unp.>ct of the incrc.l'cd IJa><' population as valid.

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