Caversham Airfield#Motor racing circuit

{{Short description|WWII airfield in Caversham, Western Australia}}

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| location =Caversham, Western Australia

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| coordinates = {{coord|31|50|16|S|115|58|27|E|region:AU-WA|display=inline,title}}

| pushpin_map = Western Australia

| pushpin_label =Caversham Airfield

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Western Australia

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Caversham Airfield, also known as Middle Swan Airfield was an airfield constructed at Caversham, Western Australia during World War II as a parent aerodrome for use by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and the United States Navy.[http://www.ozatwar.com/airfields/middleswanairfield.htm OzatWar Website]

The airfield had a triangle of three landing strips.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46337645 |title=AIRPORT NEWS ROUND-UP |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Western Australia |date=2 September 1947 |access-date=22 January 2020 |page=14 |via=Trove }}

Middle Swan was the parent airfield with the following satellite airfields:

Beverley
Bindoon
Gingin North{{efn|The usage of Gin Gin – at the Western Australian location – is found in some documents, but general usage is a single word with no duplication Gingin, Western Australia, there is another location in Australia with the duplicated form – see Gin Gin, Queensland}}
Mooliabeenee

The United States Army Air Corps also utilised the airfield during World War II.

It was also a gliding club location after the war.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article202744515 |title=GLIDING ENTHUSIASTS ACQUIRE NEW TUG' PLANE |newspaper=The Beverley Times |location=Western Australia |date=18 December 1975 |access-date=22 January 2020 |page=8 |via=Trove }}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article95577577 |title=GLIDER CRASH |newspaper=Kalgoorlie Miner |location=Western Australia |date=18 March 1946 |access-date=22 January 2020 |page=2 |via=Trove }}

Motor racing circuit

{{Infobox motorsport venue

| Name = Caversham

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| Location = Caversham, Western Australia

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| Events = Australian Grand Prix
Australian Drivers' Champ.
Six Hour Le Mans

| Opened = 1946

| Closed = 1968

| Operator = Western Australia Sporting Car Club

| Owner = Department of Defence

| Length_km = 3.50

| Length_mi = 2.18

| Turns = 10

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|}}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 and 1962{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-18/push-to-save-perth-grand-prix-track/10443508|title=Push to save Perth's historic WWII era Grand Prix racing track from development|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|author= Gian De Poloni|date=2018-11-18|access-date=2018-11-18}} 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 in 1969.

Caversham Airfield#Motor racing circuit

Motor racing circuit

See also

Notes

References

Further reading