Gatton, AU 🇦🇺 Closed Airport
AU-0673
-
- ft
AU-QLD
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: -27.560406° N, 152.34046° E
Continent: OC
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: YGAT YGAT
Loading weather data...
| Designation | Length | Width | Surface | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
09/27 |
2132 ft | - ft | G | Active |
| Type | Description | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| CTAF | CTAF | 121.2 MHz |
| MISC | MISC | 119.6 MHz |
| MISC | MISC | 126.5 MHz |
Circa 2010-2012. The airfield's use had been in decline for several years prior. Its official closure was cemented by the University of Queensland's Gatton Campus Master Plan of 2012, which designated the land for redevelopment.
Campus Expansion and Redevelopment. The primary reason for closure was the strategic need for the land by the University of Queensland for its growing Gatton campus. The space was repurposed for new academic and research facilities, roads, and other essential campus infrastructure. Maintaining an active airfield in the heart of an expanding educational institution also presented increasing logistical and safety concerns.
The site has been completely redeveloped and integrated into the University of Queensland's Gatton Campus. The former main runway has been paved and is now a primary internal road named 'Warrego Way'. The land that once constituted the airfield is now occupied by major university facilities, including the large-scale Gatton Solar Research Facility, modern teaching buildings, student accommodation, and extensive agricultural research plots. At least one of the original WWII-era Bellman hangars is still standing and has been repurposed by the university for use as a workshop or storage facility.
The airport has a significant dual history. It was originally established in 1942 during World War II as RAAF Station Gatton. It served as a key training base for the Royal Australian Air Force, hosting the No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School (8 EFTS), where pilots learned to fly on aircraft like the de Havilland Tiger Moth. After the war, the airfield was transferred to the Queensland Agricultural College, which later became the Gatton Campus of the University of Queensland. In its civilian life, it was a unique university asset used for agricultural aviation research (including crop dusting techniques), flight training by the Gatton Aero Club, and general aviation access for the university and the local community.
Zero. There are no plans or prospects for the airport to reopen. The land has been permanently redeveloped with significant, immovable infrastructure built directly across the former runway and airfield grounds. The site is now fundamentally a part of the university campus, making any return to aviation use impossible.
Thanks for the update -- I can see a ditch or path cut across the runway in the satellite view.
This airstrip has been closed by its owner (University of Queensland)