Parkes Airport

Parkes Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorParkes Shire Council
LocationParkes, New South Wales
Elevation AMSL1,069 ft / 326 m
Coordinates33°07′52″S 148°14′28″E / 33.13109°S 148.24099°E / -33.13109; 148.24099
Websitehttps://www.parkes.nsw.gov.au/living-here/your-community/airport
Map
YPKS
Location in New South Wales
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04/22 1,684 5,525 Asphalt
11/29 1,623 5,325 Asphalt
Statistics (2024-25[1])
Passengers17,701
Aircraft movements1,821
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart.[2] Passengers and aircraft movements from BITRE

Parkes Airport (IATA: PKE, ICAO: YPKS) is an airport located 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) northeast[2] of Parkes, New South Wales, Australia. The airport handled approximately 17,700 scheduled passengers in 2024-25, down from a peak of over 35,000 in 2018-19.[1][3] The Parkes Shire Council currently maintains the airport.

History

A site was identified east of town for a public aerodrome around 1920.[4] By 1923, the Department of Defence proposed Parkes become a regular stopping place for military aircraft transiting routes between Adelaide and Sydney, and Queensland.[5]

As the municipal council sought to expand the aerodrome, they faced legal challenges from groups including the Forbes Pastures Protection Board, who objected to portions of a travelling stock route falling within the crown lease.[6] The matter was resolved by conditions on the lease that prohibited fencing, ensured livestock had access to the site and that no buildings could be erected.[7] By 1929, the council had renewed the lease with amendments that allowed construction of the first hangar on the site for the local Aero Club.[8]

In March 1936, a Hawker Demon of the Royal Australian Air Force crash-landed while attempting to avoid cattle that had ventured onto the airfield. Neither of the two aircrew were injured.[9]

RAAF Station Parkes

Further information: RAAF Station Parkes

From 1941, the aerodrome was developed by the Royal Australian Air Force to train aircrew under the Empire Air Training Scheme. Notably, future Prime Minister Gough Whitlam graduated as a Flying Officer from No. 1 Air Navigation School at Parkes in 1943.[10][11]

Post war

A Non-directional beacon was installed at the airport in 1948.[12] By 1950, the airport handled up to six flights per day, with Butler Air Transport operating a route to Sydney and Australian National Airways connecting Parkes with Melbourne and Dubbo.[13]

In 1949, the Federal Government converted most of the buildings vacated by the RAAF for use as a migrant hostel.[14] The facility, which could initially house around 1000, was used to accommodate people displaced by World War 2 in Europe, many of them left stateless. Under the post-war assisted migration scheme, migrant families were permitted to live in this camp for 3 to 12 months.[15] The men would be assigned work around the state, with many signing 2 year work agreements with the Australian government as a condition of relocating. The Parkes Holding Centre closed in May 1952.[16]

Historical Aircraft Restoration Society

Due to space constraints at their main Shellharbour Airport base, the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society began using Parkes as a storage location in 2015.[17] Based out of a Bellman Hangar built during the airport's use a RAAF Base, the workshop has since expanded into a public aviation museum.[11]

A growing collection of aircraft are on static display in and outside the hangar, with several exhibits maintained or restored to airworthy condition.[17] Aircraft on display at the HARS Parkes Aviation Museum include:[18]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Rex Airlines Sydney

Statistics

Annual passenger and aircraft statistics for Parkes[3]
Year[1] Revenue passengers Aircraft movements
2015–16
27,420
1,925
2016–17
28,418
1,765
2017–18
30,247
1,748
2018–19
35,640
2,008
2019–20
25,676
1,790
2020–21
5,163
933
2021–22
9,417
1,202
2022–23
28,669
2,259
2023–24
19,244
1,612
2024–25
17,701
1,821

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Fiscal year 1 July – 30 June
  2. ^ a b YPKS – Parkes (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 19 March 2026, Aeronautical Chart Archived 11 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b "Airport Traffic Data 1985-86 to 2024-25". Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE). September 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2026. Refers to "Regular Public Transport (RPT) operations only"
  4. ^ "Parkes Aerodrome". Western Champion. Parkes, NSW. 15 July 1920. p. 13. Retrieved 19 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Parkes Aerodrome". Western Champion. Parkes, NSW. 20 December 1923. p. 15. Retrieved 19 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Parkes Aerodrome Site". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, NSW. 5 February 1925. p. 10. Retrieved 19 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Parkes Aerodrome". Western Champion. Parkes, NSW. 3 August 1922. p. 17. Retrieved 19 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Parkes Aerodrome". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, NSW. 19 July 1929. p. 14. Retrieved 19 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "Plane Crash - Cattle on Aerodrome". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, NSW. 23 March 1936. p. 9. Retrieved 19 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Parkes honours Anzac Day tradition". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 April 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  11. ^ a b "HARS Aviation Museum Parkes". Historical Aircraft Restoration Society. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  12. ^ ""On The Beam" Flying for Parkes". Central Western Daily. Orange, NSW. 28 June 1948. p. 3. Retrieved 18 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Radio Facilities at Parkes Drome". The Grenfell Record and Lachlan District Advertiser. Grenfell, NSW. 24 April 1950. p. 4. Retrieved 18 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "Parkes Drome as Immigrant Centre". The Forbes Advocate. Forbes, NSW. 25 March 1949. p. 5. Retrieved 19 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "Migrant hostels in New South Wales, 1946-78". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  16. ^ Christine Little (9 August 2019). "August 9 marks the 70th anniversary when Parkes Migrant Centre opened". The Senior. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  17. ^ a b c Richard Mallory Allnut (20 February 2019). "Warbird Restorations at Parkes Aviation Museum". Vintage Aviation News. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  18. ^ "Historical Aircraft Restoration Society". Australian Air Force Cadets. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  19. ^ Jake Nelson (11 February 2026). "QantasLink donates Network Fokker 100 to aircraft museum". Australian Aviation. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
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