RAAF Station Schofields

The closure was a result of military restructuring and consolidation. The primary function of the base had shifted from aviation to technical training for naval apprentices. As part of defence rationalisation in the post-Cold War era, the Royal Australian Navy consolidated its training facilities, leading to the decommissioning of HMAS Nirimba. The land was also identified as highly valuable for urban development to support Sydney's expanding northwestern suburbs.

The site has been completely redeveloped and is no longer recognizable as an airport. The former runways and taxiways have been removed and built over. The area is now primarily used for:

1. **The Nirimba Education Precinct:** A major educational hub that hosts campuses for Western Sydney University (The Ponds), TAFE NSW, Wyndham College, and St John Paul II Catholic College.
2. **Residential Suburbs:** Large portions of the former base have been developed into the residential suburbs of Schofields and the newer Nirimba Fields.
3. **Heritage Preservation:** Some elements of the former naval base are preserved within the Nirimba Education Precinct, including the original parade ground, some buildings, and memorials that commemorate its history as HMAS Nirimba.

RAAF Station Schofields has a rich and varied military history.

- **WWII Origins (RAAF):** Established in April 1942 as an emergency and satellite airfield for the much larger RAAF Station Richmond. It was officially formed as RAAF Station Schofields and served as an operational base, a transit station for aircraft, and an overflow airfield throughout World War II.

- **Post-War Naval Aviation (RN & RAN):** After the war, it became a key site for naval aviation. In 1945, it was transferred to the Royal Navy and commissioned as HMS Nabthorpe, later renamed HMS Golden Hind, serving as a shore base for the British Pacific Fleet's air arm. On 1 June 1952, it was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and commissioned as HMAS Albatross II, a frontline naval air station. On 1 April 1953, it was renamed HMAS Nirimba.

- **Key Aviation Milestone:** The airfield is noted as the site of the first landing of a jet aircraft in Australia, a de Havilland Vampire, in 1946.

- **Shift to Technical Training:** While the airfield remained, the base's primary role shifted in 1956 when it became the RAN Apprentice Training Establishment (RANATE). For nearly 40 years, HMAS Nirimba was the primary institution for training the Navy's technical sailors and apprentices. The airfield continued to be used for communications flights, naval helicopter training, and by the Australian Air Force Cadets.

There are zero prospects for reopening the site as an airport. The extensive and dense urban and educational development on the former airfield lands makes any return to aviation operations completely infeasible. The site was briefly considered in early studies for a second Sydney airport decades ago but was quickly dismissed due to its proximity to RAAF Base Richmond's airspace and the rapid urban encroachment. The Australian government's plan for a second Sydney airport has since been realized at Badgerys Creek with the construction of Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport.