Maylands Aerodrome

Maylands Airport (also known as Maylands Aerodrome, Maylands Airfield) on the Maylands peninsula, in Maylands, Western Australia was the main landing place of a significant number of record breaking flights in the early stages of flight in Australia. It was Perth's first official airport and was the birthplace of commercial aviation in Western Australia.

In 1923, the Commonwealth acquired a 130 acres (53 ha) site on a bend of the Swan River at Maylands for the construction of Perth's first permanent aerodrome. The Maylands aerodrome opened in 1924 and West Australian Airways immediately moved their hangar from Langley Park to the new site and commenced building another larger hangar. Other tenants included MacRobertson Miller Aviation Company, Airlines (WA) Ltd and the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia.

Charles Kingsford Smith landed at Maylands to complete the first non-stop flight across Australia. On 8 August 1928, the Southern Cross took off from Point Cook near Melbourne and set course for Perth, a distance of over 3,200 km (2,000 mi).

Competitors in the Western Australian Centenary Air Race from Sydney to Perth finished the race at Maylands Airport on Sunday 7 October 1929.

During World War II the Maylands Airfield was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). From February 1942, it was also used by the United States Army Air Forces for refuelling and aircraft ferrying purposes. Between 6 April 1942 and 5 August 1943, No. 35 Squadron, flying Avro Ansons, was based at Maylands to transport supplies and passengers to Allied units throughout Western Australia, as well as supporting the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army.

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