AIRCRAFT DEPOT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19301, 13 October 1924, Page 10

AIRCRAFT DEPOT.

DEVELOPMENT IN VICTORIA. LESSON FROM NEW ZEALAND. In view of the decision of the New Zealand Government to establish an aerial defence base at Auckland it is interesting to note the development in the same direction now going forward in Victoria as part of the Australian scheme. A great aircraft depot is being constructed at Laverton, an outer suburb of Melbourne. An area of 817 acres has been acquired by the Commonwealth Government at a cost of £10,396, and is being developed as the Central Flying School, with workshops, hangars, and quarters for officers and men. Further south on Corio Bay, is another site comprising 125 acres on the north-west shore, and is intended for use as a base for seaplanes and flying boats. This land was acquired for £4824, and in addition, an area of IGS acres of land was bought at Laverton adjoining the railway, and extending to the Melbournc-Geelong road, for £3528. At the conclusion of the war the Commonwealth received from the British Government a gift of aircraft equipment valued at one million pounds (£1,000,000), which consisted of 123 aeroplanes together with mechanical transports, engines, stores, workshops, maehniery, tools, and spare parts. Most of this equipment is still stored temporarily at Spoltwood and Point Cook. Some of the machines are housed in wood and iron sheds, while others are in canvas hangars, and the remainder are stacked in the open air. This method of storage of delicate machinery is very wasteful, and it has now been decided to erect proper buildings at. Laverton for permanent use. The estimated cost of this construction is £296,836, and this money will be expended on the necessary work over a period of four years. The enterprise includes the erection of a store building, 272 ft long and 17Gft wide, of brick and concrete, which will cost £30,000. Workshops, costing £13,000, havo also been designed. There will be employment here for carpenters, engine fitters, sail makers, armament experts, wireless operators, instrument repairers, and so forth. There are also to be general stores costing £13.550. hangars £SOOO, vehicle stores £15,000, transport stores £12,500, and sundry other buildings. The work entailed in this mass of construction will bring a large, body of construction craftsmen to Laverton, and these will form the beginnings of n. new industrial suburb.

The scheme embraces a pressroom fo* pfifi men, a sergeant’s mesa, quarters for single men, and other buildings in the nalio-e of barracks. House construction for tho officers, is another important factor in tho enterprise. The commanding officer’s house cast. £IB7O, and n. number of other houses for subordinate officers are constructed at, fl.Ttf) each. Units of the Citizen Air Force are also to he erected at Lavorton, and the building for these will bo of a temporary nature, but os time goes on no doubt permanent, buildings will bo erected. For tins section the plans arc laid for a very considerable aerial establishment. It is evident from the ranee they cover that, the aerial denot itself will form a substantial backbone for the industrial and military city. The work is to be done systematically, and provision is to be made at, the outset to supnly several roads for private and rm.blic benefit. The depot building will be erected in concrete, and nrobablv a large amount of the other buildings will bo comprised of tho same material, if it is available a.t a rcsonabic cost. This fact has apparently appealed to one of the concrete companies, which lino acquired one or two hundred acres of land in the vicinity. There is said to Ire on this estate a vast quantity of natural cemont. and there exists, too, an immense body of brown coal, which may be used with the cement works, and to supply power for other industries which it is expected will assemble in the neighbourhood.