An Airstrip at Tumut

11 October 1952 Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga)

A Wagga man, Mr. Eric Condon, has donated £50 towards the establishment of an airstrip at Tumut. 

Mr. Condon, who is proprietor of Wagga Air Taxis, made the donation at a meeting of the Tumut Chamber of Commerce on Thursday night

On Thursday afternoon, Mr. Condon end Mr. G. C. Quoncey (manager of Wagga Branch of A.N.A.) inspected possible sites for an airstrip chosen by the Chamber of Commerce. 

The site finally selected was considered an ideal position for a strip, situated seven miles on the Adelong side of Tumut. This strip, when established, will be central to Adelong, Tumut and Batlow districts.

At the meeting at night it was decided to approach the landholders with a view to obtaining the strip of land selected as a landing strip. 

Snowy scheme Mr. Quoncey stressed that it was only such events as the construction of the Snowy River Scheme and wars which brought aerodromes to country centres. 

Now was the time for a concerted effort to establish an airstrip which may possibly be developed later. 

The construction of the Blowering Dam near Tumut was looked upon as a golden opportunity for the development of the strip, particularly with the possibility of the Government flying in urgent equipment on Bristol air freighters, as was done at the Woomera Rocket Range. 

It was pointed out that an   airstrip at Tumut would bring that centre to within 40 air miles of Canberra, and would open up a direct air route from the Riverina to the South Coastal resorts. 

The strip would also enable politicians and high public servants to fly to the Blowering Dam site direct from Canberra. 

The move for an airstrip at Tumut followed a meeting at Wagga last week at which it was recommended that Riverina centres and district stations prepare small airstrips to accommodate air ambulance transport in emergency cases.