“What stories could this playground tell?” Airman’s Park is more than just swings and slides. It is a place touched by history. This local park backs onto the gorgeous bushland near the Lane Cove River. But its story stretches back to World War II.
Imagine young airmen fresh from enlistment. They arrived at Bradfield Park for their initial training. This was their first taste of military life. New South Wales airmen typically passed through No. 2 ITS. It was located at Bradfield Park in Sydney. Thousands of airmen and women experienced their first Air Force days here. Women from the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force WAAAF also trained on site.
Don Southwell a 463 Squadron navigator remembered the vast parade grounds. They stretched for miles near the station’s gatehouse. Don recalled the WAAAFs excelled at drills. They out-drilled everyone he said.
Don shared stories of guarding the station’s boat house. It was located down on the banks of the Lane Cove River. He would carry his straw mattress and rifle. Then he walked down a track through thick bush. He stayed overnight in the boat house. Once he fired his rifle at the water to see what would happen. He worried on the walk back about accounting for that cartridge. History doesn’t record how he got away with it.
Airmen sometimes crawled through a hole in the fence. They removed the trainee flash from their caps. This made them appear as ground crew. This way they could walk to Chatswood Railway Station. Don admitted he did the same while guarding the boat house. He waited until dark. Then he escaped to catch a train home to Croydon. He slept at home that night. He returned just as the sun came up.
Today little remains of the original station. The CSIRO moved to the area in 1979. They built their National Measurement Laboratories here. In recent years they sold off some of the Commonwealth land. The RAAF station once stood on this land.
However reminders of the past linger. The main road past the CSIRO is named Bradfield Road. Nearby streets include Squadron Circuit and Brevet Avenue. In the corner of Queen Elizabeth Reserve a memorial stands. It is not far from the tennis courts where parade grounds once were.
The memorial was built in 2006. It was partly funded by the CSIRO and Kuringai Council. It serves as a reminder of the activities that once took place here.
So as children play in Airman’s Park remember its history. This park connects us to the brave men and women of the RAAF. They began their service to the country right here. The playground’s laughter echoes the footsteps of those who came before. It is a place where play and remembrance meet. Airman’s Park stands as a tribute to their service and sacrifice. It is a reminder that even in peace the echoes of history surround us.