Mount Isa Airfield

Airfield
North-West

Mount Isa-Duchess Road, Mount Isa 4825

The Mt Isa airport of today was constructed post WW2. However, during WW2 Mt Isa did have a landing area located south of the town (DCA LG #121 revised 7/41).

History

This airfield would have seen transient aircraft movement, particularly that related to services in the town for the numerous truck convoys which passed through. American Forces were prominently involved in the upgrading of the somewhat non-existent and certainly very much weather dependant Barkly Highway through to the Northern Territory and beyond.

Mt Isa was a US Army hospital (No 17 Station Hospital) site and at a crucial stage, miners in their spare time decided to excavate an UNDERGROUND hospital. They could be properly regarded as bomb proof should an enemy attack have penetrated so far. This hospital is now maintained as a museum.

Source/comments

Roger and Jenny Marks - 'Queensland Airfields WW2 - Fifty Years On'.