Built by the RAAF in the late 1940s, Leigh Creek airport could be identified by its phonetic code Able Able Love Charlie (AALC)*. The inaugural commercial flight was made from Parafield by Trans Australian Airlines (TAA) on 26 September 1950. Leigh Creek became an important stop-over on the Adelaide to Darwin route and within a few years TAA DC3 aircraft flew five flights to Alice Springs and five to Adelaide each week. (*The phonetic alphabet changed to a NATO standard in 1956)

Tom Robbins welcoming his mother at Leigh Creek Airport, circa 1946 (ETSA Museum)

TAA Douglas C-47, 1946 (Enid Blieschke Collection)

The Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies visited on 26 June 1958 (Enid Blieschke Collection)

Visit by the SA Govenor Sir Edric Bastyan in October 1961 (Enid Blieschke Collection)

Fokker Friendship, Leigh Creek Airport, 1965 (O'Dea Family Collection) — Fokker Friendship, Leigh Creek airport, 1965 (O'Dea Family Collection)

Vickers Viscount, 1961 (Enid Blieschke Collection)

Ansett Focker Friendship VH-FNM in the 1960s — Ansett Focker Friendship VH-FNM, 1960s

The City of Whyalla, early 1970s (Don Franks)

Lance Daulby waits to disconnect the ground power as the City of Whyalla prepares to depart, early 1970s (Jenny Daulby)

Final approach to Leigh Creek, 1978 (Enid Blieschke Collection)

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The McGuinnes family - Roland, Betty and children April, Tracy and Kenneth - departing Leigh Creek after their stay during commissioning of the Page dragline, 1971 (Graham Brooks) — The McGuinnes family - Roland, Betty and children April, Tracy & Kenneth - departing Leigh Creek after their stay during commissioning of the Page dragline, 1971 (Graham Brooks)

VH-ACS

The Leigh Creek Airport was officially opened in 1950 and it has been commonly recorded that this small silver aircraft was the first to land there. The aircraft registered VH-ACS is a 1939 built De Havilland DH.94 Moth Minor visiting from Broken Hill. From 1954 to 1967, VH-ACS was owned by the Treloar family, at Mooleulooloo Station, Mingary SA (near Broken Hill). It was used for sheep mustering, checking waters and commuting. It was a frequent visitor to the Flinders Ranges, in particular to visit family at Umberatana Station.

From Leigh Creek - An Oasis in the desert (J Pilmore) — From ‘Leigh Creek - an oasis in the desert’ (J Pilmore)

at Parafield in 1966 — At Parafield, 1966

VH-BTK

SA Air Taxis Ltd commenced in July 1958 with this Auster J.1N Alpha VH-BTK, owned by the Treloar family of Umberatana Station.
Malcolm Treloar liked nothing better than flying BTK around the station or into Leigh Creek for a town visit whenever necessary.

Military Aircraft

Boys loved the big military aircraft flying low across the town. The roar of the engines was the cue to jump on their pushbikes
and ride as fast as they could to the airport to get a close up glimpse.

RAAF C-130A Hercules A97-210 - No 36 Squadron

RAAF C-130A Hercules A97-206 - No. 36 Squadron (Kevin Waters)

Local Boys get a close up look at the C-130 in the 1960’s (Mick Millikan) — Local boys get a close up look at the C-130 in the 1960s (Mick Millikan)

RAAF C-130 arriving at Leigh creek airport in 1969 (Donna Read) — RAAF C-130 arriving at Leigh Creek airport, 1969 (Donna Read)

A 36 Squadron C-130A, 1969 (Enid Blieschke Collection)

Army Cessna 180s A98-044 and 063 in the 1960s. Both served and were damaged in Vietnam. (Enid Blieschke Collection)

RAAF A11 Dassault Mystere 20 VIP aircraft, 1974 (Enid Blieschke Collection)

ARMY Bell CA-32 Kiowa, 1973 (Enid Blieschke Collection)

RAAF 5 Squadron UH-iH Bell Iroquois, 1975 (Enid Blieschke Collection)

RAAF 12 Squadron Boeing CH-47C Chinook A15-006 was used at the Moomba Gas Field following an explosion on 18/12/75 for carting Barytes mud to smother fire. (Enid Blieschke Collection)

Military Exercises at Umberatana - 1968

(Photographs Malcolm Treloar)

These photographs of the RAAF Caribou and Iroquois were taken in 1968 and form part of the O’Dea family collection.
At that time, National Servicemen and Regular Army soldiers did exercises in the Leigh Creek area before they went to
jungle training in Queensland, then Vietnam.

RAAF De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou - No 38 squadron — RAAF De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou - No. 38 squadron

Survey & Instrumented Aircraft

These photographs of the Adastra Aerial Survey aircraft VH-AGE were taken at Leigh Creek in 1964 by Peter Read. They include a shot of the survey equipment carried in the aircraft, Leigh Creek and the coalfield, Marree and the SA/NSW border area. In 1966 this aircraft crashed whilst conducting magnetometer survey flights near Tennant Creek and all six people on board were killed.

Adastra Aerial Surveys Lockheed 414 Hudson registered VH-AGJ at Leigh Creek circa 1971. This aircraft was originally flown by the RAAF in WW2 from Hughes Field in the Northern Territory conducting bombing raids across Timor and New Guinea. (Peter Sm… — Adastra Aerial Surveys Lockheed 414 Hudson registered VH-AGJ at Leigh Creek, circa 1971. This aircraft was originally flown by the RAAF in WW2 from Hughes Field in the Northern Territory conducting bombing raids across Timor and New Guinea. (Peter Smith)

VH-DAS was converted into a survey aircraft, 1958. It was leased to the Government of South Australia Lands Commission, although operated and maintained by TAA. Seen here at Leigh Creek in 1972. (Roy Barber)

VH-EXG

VH-EXG is a Super Canso PBY-5A Catalina flying boat. The aircraft was built in April 1944 as PBV-1A Canso and delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force from where it became surplus in 1961. In 1966 the aircraft was converted to a Super Catalina in tanker configuration and in 1972 it was registered to Executive Air Services and operated on permanent charter to Geoterrex Pty Ltd, conducting geophysical survey work throughout Australia. In 1989, VH-EXG was obtained by the Royal Australian Air Force Museum at Point Cook, Victoria. It was later restored and is now on static display at the Museum as RAAF Catalina A24-104 of No. 113 Air Sea Rescue Flight.

Airport

Leigh Creek Airport