Local Government
East Pilbara
Region
Pilbara
There no heritage location found in the Google fusion table.
Location
Salgash Corunna Downs Rd Marble Bar
Location Details
Approx 50kms south of Marble Bar AIRBASE ONLY IN THIS RECORD - see also parent record P3695 Corunna Downs Station & Fmr War Time Airbase.
Construction Date
Constructed from 1942
Demolition Year
N/AStatutory Heritage Listings
| Type | Status | Date | Documents | More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
Other Heritage Listings and Surveys
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | More information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Description | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 27 Aug 1999 |
|
||
Statement of Significance
This place has historic, scientific and social significance. Airforce Historian, Lindsay Peet. classed Corunna secret airbase as "strategically crucial to Australia's northern defence". Maintained under top secret security, Corunna was never located by Japanese reconnaissance. U.S. airmen and B-24 liberators based at Corunna hit Japanese targets in occupied Indonesia. A round trip to Surabaya was about 4,000 kms. These were the longest bombing raids flown anywhere before 1943. The base had a significant social influence on the township of Marble Bar.
Physical Description
There are two intersecting runways constructed of bitumen on compacted crushed stone base. The northsouth runway is 5.000 feet long and the east-west is 7,000 feet long. Both are 150 feet wide and linked by a 50 feet wide taxi-way. Off this taxi-way runs a loop road with about 20 aircraft bays. Set in spinifex scrub and near an iron-stone ridge, the base buildings were few - namely kitchen, hospital, administration and recreation huts. Only stone foundations remain.
Integrity/Authenticity
All that remains of Base buildings are concrete-raft floors, sewerage pits etc.
Clearance sales in 1946 completely demolished removable materials.
Airbase runways/revetments are intact & in fair condition.
Condition
Fair
References
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| F Purser; "The Story of Corunna Downs". | |||
| "The Sunday Times". | Nov 1993 |
State Heritage Office library entries
| Library Id | Title | Medium | Year Of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11951 | Black Swans over Java | Book | 2021 |
Place Type
Individual Building or Group
Uses
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | VACANT\UNUSED | Vacant\Unused |
| Other Use | OTHER | Other |
| Original Use | MILITARY | Other |
Architectural Styles
| Style |
|---|
| Other Style |
Construction Materials
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Other | CONCRETE | Concrete Slab |
| Other | STONE | Local Stone |
Historic Themes
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| OUTSIDE INFLUENCES | World Wars & other wars |
Creation Date
01 Oct 1999Publish place record online (inHerit):
ApprovedLast Update
01 Jan 2017Disclaimer
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.