RAAF Curtin
Encyclopedia
RAAF Base Curtin is a Royal Australian Air Force
base located near the town of Derby
on the north coast of Western Australia
. As it is one of the RAAF's three 'bare bases'
no Air Force units are currently based at Curtin and it is maintained by a small caretaker staff during peacetime. The base is named in honour of former Prime Minister John Curtin
.
RAAF Curtin was the first major military airfield to be built in Australia since World War II
. Construction on the base began in 1983 and it was opened in 1988.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s the base operated as a Commonwealth of Australia immigration detention centre. It closed in September 2002. The detention centre was reopened in April 2010 to house around 60 Sri Lanka
n and Afghan
asylum seekers whose applications were suspended.
There is a direct flights back to Derby (to Perth) from 2007 since Ansett
terminated the service in 1992.
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
base located near the town of Derby
Derby, Western Australia
Derby is a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. At the 2006 census, Derby had a population of 3,093. Along with Broome and Kununurra, it is one of only three towns in the Kimberley to have a population over 2,000...
on the north coast of 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...
. As it is one of the RAAF's three 'bare bases'
RAAF Bare Bases
The Royal Australian Air Force currently maintains three Bare Bases in remote areas of Northern Australia. These bases were developed in the 1980s and 1990s in line with the Defence of Australia Policy in order to enhance the RAAF's ability to conduct combat operations from the Australian mainland...
no Air Force units are currently based at Curtin and it is maintained by a small caretaker staff during peacetime. The base is named in honour of former Prime Minister John Curtin
John Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
.
RAAF Curtin was the first major military airfield to be built in Australia since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Construction on the base began in 1983 and it was opened in 1988.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s the base operated as a Commonwealth of Australia immigration detention centre. It closed in September 2002. The detention centre was reopened in April 2010 to house around 60 Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n and Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
asylum seekers whose applications were suspended.
There is a direct flights back to Derby (to Perth) from 2007 since Ansett
Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
terminated the service in 1992.