Langley Park, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Running alongside Riverside Drive, it is grassed, rectangular in shape and has dimensions 900 x 100 m (3000 x 300 ft). It was created by reclaiming
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
land from the adjacent Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
between 1921 and 1935, to provide open space near the city.
As a pioneer of civil aviation in Western Australia, Major Norman Brearley
Norman Brearley
Sir Norman Brearley CBE was a commercial and military pilot and one of the pioneers of the airline industry within Australia.-Aviation career:...
used the park as an airstrip in the 1920s. That tradition continues with "fly-ins", where small aircraft land in the park. In 2003, to celebrate 100 years of powered flight, 10 aircraft representing each decade of the 20th century landed. Aircraft have also used the park to perform emergency landings. In 1997 a Tiger Moth
De Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
TMK had an engine failure and put down in the park. While not an official airfield, Langley Park makes Perth a place where fixed-wing aircraft can land in proximity to the central business district.
Modern usage
Langley Park's location makes it a popular place to view the annual Lotterywest SkyworksLotterywest Skyworks
The City of Perth Skyworks is a fireworks show that is held over the section of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia known as Perth Water. It is held every Australia Day on the 26th of January....
, which are held over the river. The Telstra Rally Australia World Rally Championship held events at the park for 11 years from 1992 to 2002, and once more in 2005.
During 17-19 November 2006, 2-4 November 2007 and 1-2 November 2008, the final stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Series was held over the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
and Perth Water
Perth Water
Perth Water is the section of the Swan River between the Causeway to the east, and Narrows Bridge to the west - a large wide but shallow section of river on the southern edge of the City of Perth, Western Australia, and the northern edge of the suburb South Perth. Retrieved 29 December 2006...
, using Langley Park as the airfield.
Cirque Du Soleil has used the park many times to set up its big top for its shows whenever a big top touring production visits Australia. Shows preformed at Langley park: Saltimbanco, Alegria, Quidam, Dralion, Varekai.