A site was identified east of town for a public aerodrome around 1920. By 1923, the
Department of Defence proposed Parkes become a regular stopping place for military aircraft transiting routes between Adelaide and Sydney, and Queensland. As the municipal council sought to expand the aerodrome, they faced legal challenges from groups including the Forbes Pastures Protection Board, who objected to portions of a
travelling stock route falling within the
crown lease. The matter was resolved by conditions on the lease that prohibited fencing, ensured livestock had access to the site and that no buildings could be erected. By 1929, the council had renewed the lease with amendments that allowed construction of the first hangar on the site for the local Aero Club. In March 1936, a
Hawker Demon of the
Royal Australian Air Force crash-landed while attempting to avoid cattle that had ventured onto the airfield. Neither of the two aircrew were injured.
RAAF Station Parkes From 1941, the aerodrome was developed by the Royal Australian Air Force to train aircrew under the
Empire Air Training Scheme. Notably, future Prime Minister
Gough Whitlam graduated as a Flying Officer from No. 1 Air Navigation School at Parkes in 1943.
Post war A
Non-directional beacon was installed at the airport in 1948. By 1950, the airport handled up to six flights per day, with
Butler Air Transport operating a route to Sydney and
Australian National Airways connecting Parkes with Melbourne and
Dubbo. In 1949, the Federal Government converted most of the buildings vacated by the RAAF for use as a migrant hostel. The facility, which could initially house around 1000, was used to accommodate people displaced by World War 2 in Europe, many of them left stateless. Under the post-war assisted migration scheme, migrant families were permitted to live in this camp for 3 to 12 months. The men would be assigned work around the state, with many signing 2 year work agreements with the Australian government as a condition of relocating. The Parkes Holding Centre closed in May 1952. ==Historical Aircraft Restoration Society==