History
The airstrip was built during World War II as a defensive measure to counter feared Japanese operations in the South Pacific. As Norfolk Island did not have enough flat ground, in 1942 several bulldozers were used to knock the tops off of several hills, and fill in the valleys between them. Steel mesh was then used to make a solid surface.
Initially used for bomber patrols and for a transport service to Bougainville Island, the airfield was never used as a major base and became a stopover for aircraft travelling between Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands. The Royal New Zealand Air Force left the airfield in July 1946. At the airfield was an air-sea rescue unit, a servicing section and a radar unit installation at Mount Bates.
Read more about this topic: Norfolk Island Airport
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