List of former Royal New Zealand Air Force stations
Air force bases in New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This list of former RNZAF stations and bases includes most of the stations, airfields and administrative headquarters previously used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force.[1]
New Zealand
North Island
| Base | Region | Year opened | Year closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNZAF Waipapakauri | Northland | 1939 | 1945 | Closed in 1945, with its facilities abandoned. The station hospital is now the Waipapakauri Hotel, while the runways have been converted back into farmland.[2][3] |
| RNZAF Kaitaia | Northland | 1942 | 1945 | Built with large A shaped runways to accommodate American B-17 bomber aircraft. Transferred to civilian use as Kaitaia Airport in the postwar period.[4] |
| RNZAF Onerahi | Northland | 1939 | 1945 | Transferred to civilian use as Whangarei Airport. |
| RNZAF Hobsonville | Auckland | 1928 | 2002 | Wing Commander A B Greenway was commanding officer, RNZAF Station Hobsonville, in late May 1948.[5] The base was merged with RNZAF Base Whenuapai to form RNZAF Base Auckland. Now largely redeveloped into housing.[6] |
| RNZAF Swanson | Auckland | 1943 | 1945 | Housed the Weapons training school in 1944, the site is now mostly residential area.[7] |
| RNZAF Seagrove | Auckland | 1942 | 1945 | Reverted to farmland.[8] |
| RNZAF Ardmore | Auckland | 1943 | 1957 | Now Ardmore Airport, a significant general aviation airport for the Auckland region.[9] |
| RNZAF Te Rapa | Waikato | 1942 | 1992 | Now The Base |
| RNZAF Rukuhia | Waikato | 1942 | 1946 | Now Hamilton Airport.[10][11] |
| RNZAF Te Awamutu | Waikato | 1942 | c. 1945 | Functioned as store depot and engineering station, rather than an operational airfield |
| RNZAF Raglan | Waikato | 1941[12] | Still in use as Raglan Airstrip. | |
| RNZAF Waharoa | Waikato | 1942 | 1945 | Still in use as Matamata Aerodrome. |
| RNZAF Tokoroa | Waikato | - | - | Held in reserve, but never used. Reverted to civilian use as Tokoroa Aerodrome. |
| RNZAF Tauranga | Bay of Plenty | 1940 | 1944 | Reverted to civilian use as Tauranga Airport. |
| RNZAF Rotorua | Bay of Plenty | 1942 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian use as Whakarewarewa Aerodrome. Whakarewarewa was replaced by the present Rotorua Airport and converted to residential housing. |
| RNZAF New Plymouth | Taranaki | 1939 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian use as New Plymouth Airport. |
| RNZAF Linton | Manawatū-Whanganui | 1943 | 1943 | Now the site of Linton Army Camp. |
| RNZAF Wereroa | Manawatū-Whanganui | 1939 | 1942 | Little remains of the current site today. The runways have been turned back into farmland, while the Speldhurst Country Estate has largely been developed over the training station. However, as of early 2021, several buildings remain on the East of the site. |
| RNZAF Feilding | Manawatū-Whanganui | 1939 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian use as Feilding Aerodrome. |
| RNZAF Milson | Manawatū-Whanganui | 1942 | 1944 | Reverted to civilian use as Palmerston North Airport. |
| RNZAF Kaitoke | Manawatū-Whanganui | 1939 | 1945 | Built to accommodate American B-17 bomber aircraft. Reverted to civilian use as Whanganui Airport.[4] |
| RNZAF Masterton | Wellington | 1939 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian use, now hosts Wings over Wairarapa and serves as a general aviation airport.[13] |
| RNZAF Gisborne | Gisborne | 1942 | 1944 | Reverted to civilian use as Gisborne Airport. |
| RNZAF Paraparaumu | Wellington | 1941 | 1947 | Reverted to civilian use as the main airport for Wellington during the postwar period until significant upgrades at Rongotai Airport. Now operates as a small general aviation aerodrome with the name Kapiti Coast Airport. |
| RNZAF Mangaroa | Wellington | 1942 | 1949 | Several buildings still remain on Flux Road. |
| RNZAF Hutt | Wellington | 1939 | 1940 | The Hutt Railway Workshops are still occupied by KiwiRail, the successor to New Zealand Railways. |
| RNZAF Rongotai | Wellington | 1938 | 1945 | Now Wellington International Airport. While the airport is no longer operated by the military, the RNZAF still perform operations here, in addition to maintaining a military logistics terminal on the Western Apron. |
| RNZAF Wellington | Wellington | 1939 | 1945 | Air Headquarters was located in Stout Street at Defence Headquarters, now the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment building. Several parts of the National Museum were also taken over for military use.
WAAF servicewomen were lodged in the Bristol Hotel in Cuba Street and the Molesworth Street Barracks on the corner of Molesworth and Hill Streets. Today the Bristol remains as a hotel and pub, but the Molesworth Street barracks were removed to make way for St. Pauls Cathedral. The former American camp at Anderson park was further used as temporary accommodation, now reverted to park area. |
South Island
| Base | Region | Year opened | Year closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNZAF Nelson | Nelson | 1941 | 1946 | Today the former RNZAF station remains open as Nelson Airport. Many of the RNZAF buildings and hangars are still in use today. |
| RNZAF Takaka | Tasman | 1942 | 1945 | In use today as Takaka Aerodrome. |
| RNZAF Motueka | Tasman | c. 1941 | c. 1945 | In use today as Motueka Aerodrome. |
| RNZAF Omaka | Marlborough | 1939 | 1944 | Today Omaka is a significant general aviation aerodrome in the Marlborough region. It is also home to a large collection of historical World War I and II aircraft, with aircraft owned by enthusiasts such as Stuart Trantrum, Peter Jackson and Mike Nicholls. The aerodrome features events such as Classic Fighters, and features a large museum featuring aviation heritage. Many former RNZAF buildings remain on site, with some used by a local Air Training Corps unit. |
| RNZAF Delta | Marlborough | 1943 | 1944 | Land reverted to farmland, with many areas being used as vineyards. |
| RNZAF Fairhall | Marlborough | 1942 | 1943 | Land reverted to farmland, with many areas being used as vineyards. |
| RNZAF Wairau Valley | Marlborough | c. 1943 | c. 1944 | Little information on the usage or history of the site, much is unknown. |
| RNZAF Dillons Point | Marlborough | -- | -- | Land held in reserve, but never used. |
| RNZAF Lake Grassmere | Marlborough | 1938 | c. 1947 | Used for RNZAF operations and the nearby lake was used for training ops. The former lake bed/airfield site is now mainly used for solar salt production. |
| RNZAF Waimakariri | Canterbury | 1942 | 1945 | Returned to farm land. |
| RNZAF Eyreton | Canterbury | -- | -- | Land held in reserve, but never used. |
| RNZAF Christchurch Central | Canterbury | 1940 | 1945 | Requisitioned or rented buildings in the city center used for administrative and support purposes during World War II, now in civilian use. |
| RNZAF Addington | Canterbury | 1939 | 1940 | Functioned as a Technical Training School for airmen, riggers, and fitters. Located at the Addington Railway Workshops. |
| RNZAF Wigram | Canterbury | 1923 | 1995 | New Zealand's oldest air base. Now the home of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.While the original plot of land remains, most of the extended base area has been converted into residential housing. |
| RNZAF Norwood | Canterbury | 1939 | 1945 | Mostly reverted to farm land. However, several hangar and accommodation block ruins can be found. |
| RNZAF Lyttelton | Canterbury | c. 1939 | 1945 | Port depot, dispatched and received RNZAF personnel going overseas and to the North Island etc. |
| RNZAF Cashmere | Canterbury | 1939 | 1945 | Several buildings are owned by Heritage New Zealand and are open to the public. The University of Canterbury operates seismic equipment in the underground bunkers. |
| RNZAF Birdlings Flat | Canterbury | 1939 | 1945 | Training airstrip and firing / bomb range. Used for practicing bomb dropping and gunnery. Is now no longer in use. |
| RNZAF Darfield | Canterbury | -- | -- | Land held in reserve, but never used. May have been selected as a satellite field for RNZAF Te Pirita. |
| RNZAF Te Pirita | Canterbury | 1942 | 1943 | Returned to farm land. |
| RNZAF Ashburton | Canterbury | 1942 | 1944 | Reverted to civilian use as Ashburton Aerodrome.[14] |
| RNZAF Maronan | Canterbury | -- | -- | Land held in reserve, but never used. |
| RNZAF Mayfield | Canterbury | -- | -- | Land held in reserve, but never used. |
| RNZAF Timaru | Canterbury | 1939 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian use as Richard Pearse Airport. |
| RNZAF Waitaki | Otago | 1941 | 1945 | Now Oamaru Airport. |
| RNZAF Ranfurly | Otago | c. 1942 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian or agricultural use. |
| RNZAF Cromwell | Otago | 1942 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian use as Cromwell Racecourse Aerodrome |
| RNZAF Hillside | Otago | 1939 | 1940 | The Hillside Railway Workshops are still occupied by KiwiRail, the successor to New Zealand Railways. |
| RNZAF Taieri | Otago | 1939 | 1959 | Reverted to civilian use as Taieri Aerodrome. Several air force hangars and buildings remain. |
| RNZAF Outram | Otago | -- | -- | Land held in reserve, but never used. |
| RNZAF Momona | Otago | -- | -- | Land held in reserve, but never for wartime purposes. Site of the new Dunedin Airport to replace Taieri Aerodrome in 1962. |
| RNZAF Milton | Otago | -- | -- | Land held in reserve, but never used. |
| RNZAF Balclutha | Otago | c. 1942 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian use as Balclutha Aerodrome. |
| RNZAF Middlemarch | Otago | c. 1942 | 1945 | Served as an emergency or satellite landing ground for the nearby RNZAF Taieri. |
| RNZAF Sutton | Otago | c. 1942 | 1945 | Emergency / Practice airfield. Reverted to agricultural land. |
| RNZAF Queenstown | Otago | 1940 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian use, now Queenstown Airport |
| RNZAF Glenorchy | Otago | c. 1942 | 1945 | Emergency landing and training ground, reverted to civilian use, now Glenorchy Aerodrome |
| RNZAF Makarora | Otago | c. 1942 | 1945 | Served as an emergency landing ground. Reverted to civilian use, now Makarora Airstrip |
| RNZAF Karamea | West Coast | c. 1940 | 1945 | In use today as Karamea Aerodrome. |
| RNZAF Jacksons Bay | West Coast | c. 1942 | 1945 | Emergency or Auxiliary landing ground. Reverted to civilian use. |
| RNZAF Haast | West Coast | 1942 | 1945 | In 1942, the RNZAF had the aerodrome's existing primary runway extended, so that it could be used by Vickers Vincents from RNZAF Nelson in emergencies or during specific patrols. Reverted to civilian use postwar as Haast Aerodrome.[15] |
| RNZAF Mount Cook Hermitage | West Coast | c. 1942 | 1945 | Auxiliary and emergency landing ground, reverted to civilian use, now Mount Cook Aerodrome |
| RNZAF Waiho | West Coast | c. 1942 | 1945 | Emergency landing site. Destroyed on 21 December 1984, when the Waiho River burst its banks. |
| RNZAF Landsborough | West Coast | c. 1942 | 1945 | Satellite and emergency landing ground, now part of the Landsborough Flats. |
| RNZAF Mussel Point | West Coast | c. 1942 | 1945 | Served as an emergency or auxiliary airfield, now largely rural land. |
| RNZAF Arawata | West Coast | c. 1942 | 1945 | Auxiliary and emergency landing field, reverted to original state. |
| RNZAF Hokitika | West Coast | c. 1942 | 1945 | Located on the south side of the Hokitika River. Reverted to civilian use postwar, but closed in 1948. A replacement airport was built in the hills northeast of the city. |
| RNZAF Greymouth | West Coast | c. 1940 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian use, now Greymouth Airport |
| RNZAF Inchbonnie | West Coast | c. 1942 | 1945 | Auxiliary and emergency landing ground. Reverted to farmland. |
| RNZAF Westport | West Coast | 1942 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian use, now Westport Airport |
| RNZAF Gore | Southland | 1939 | 1945 | Reverted to civilian use as Gore Aerodrome. |
| RNZAF Dawsons Farm | Southland | 1939 | 1945 | RNZAF Dawsons Farm remained operational throughout World War II, while the new Invercargill Airport was constructed. Due to its proximity to Antarctica, Invercargill Airport retains some minor military use by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, United States Air National Guard, and Aeronautica Militaire.[16] |