Wittenoom Gorge Airport
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Wittenoom Gorge Airport | |||||||||||||||
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 Aerial photo of Wittenoom Gorge Airport taken on 22 September 1973. | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Closed | ||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Department of Civil Aviation | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Wittenoom, Western Australia | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Wittenoom Contaminated Site | ||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1993 | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 22°13′35″S 118°21′41″E / 22.22639°S 118.36139°E | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  WIT Location in Western Australia | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Wittenoom Gorge Airport (IATA: WIT, ICAO: YWIT) was an airfield located in Wittenoom, Pilbara region of Western Australia. In the 1950s, it played a key role in Wittenoom’s asbestos industry by facilitating the immigration of workers. It was operated by the Department of Civil Aviation, and was closed in 1993.
Closure
In March 1945, the airfield was rated “A” class in favour of winds and dry weather by the Department of Civil Aviation. On 28 August 1947, Airlines (W.A.) Ltd. opened a regular a service to Wittenoom, with £3/10/ for single and £6/4/ return. The service extended the Perth-Meekatharra route to Wittenoom Gorge and onward towards Roebourne.[1] On June 3, 1947, an air migration of 1000 workers to the town begun, where they would work in the Australian Blue Abestos Ltd. Aircraft operated by Airlines (W.A.) Ltd. were chartered to facilitate this operation.[2] On July 1947, an air service which would carry mail, passenger, freight, and medical facilities was opened to Wittenoom Gorge Airport by MacRobertson Miller Airlines from Port Hedland. These flights help facilitate the transportation of workers and supplies to the asbestos mining industry.[3]
On 22 January 1952, heavy rain rendered the airport unserviceable, which canceled a special Anson aircraft of Airlines (W.A.) Ltd.’s scheduled service.[4] In November 1954, increasing air traffic at Wittenoom Gorge Airport prompted the expansion of the runways. This mainly included the lengthening and widening of existing runways, and the grading and consolidation of the runway surface.[5] In 1955, runway 15/33 (5540 ft long) dirt strip was closed while two other runways were being used. The runway was paved with tailings, which contained about 5% asbestos.[6] In 1958, the Department of Works constructed an airport terminal, which consisted of a passenger shelter with seating and a desk. There were also two toilets and a workshop. On the backside, there were three emerging tanks, a pump, and a 1,000 gallon water tank. Near the terminal was an equipment building.[7] In 1962, an airport powerhouse was installed by the Department of Civil Aviation. This included a site preparation access road, and associated pavements and engineering services.[8] By the 1970s, Wittenoom Gorge Airport later operated a Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) tower for the Department of Civil Aviation. The tower was also used by Telecom for providing links to telephones in the town prior to the construction of a new tower located at the Eastern edge of the town.[9]
By the 1990s, several services operating in the town begun to close, including the Wittenoom Gorge Airport. In 1993, Wittenoom Gorge Airport and its access roads were officially closed.[10] In 1996, several buildings in the town were demolished, and the materials were subsequently buried in the airport grounds. In 2006 a risk-assessment and strategy report was made, with plans to isolate Wittenoom Gorge Airport from public access, and stripping the runways to encourage natural growth. In January 2008, the Department of Environment & Conservation designated the airport site as contaminated and unsuitable for human settlement.[11]