Conference Paper

Australia is dependent on its transportation system for its welfare and cohesion. With vast distances between population centres, air transport has emerged as an essential service, particularly for more remote areas of the continent. In many cases, the development of airport facilities in remote areas occurred for reasons not directly associated with the region itself. For example, air strips were used as staging points on the England-Australia air route developed by pioneer aviators. Also, during World War II, many airports were developed for training, strategic and staging purposes. In outback areas, these airports initially played a major part in opening up their respective regions, and later contributed significantly to their growth and development. In the early days, airport facilities were relatively basic. However, with the increase in number and sophistication of aircraft, along with more stringent safety requirements, a complex infrastructure became necessary to service air transport. This required the solution of many technical and practical problems.