The RAAF

2012 - present

The Richmond Base for the Royal Australian Air Force has been an integral part of the Hawkesbury community for the better part of a century. RAAF Richmond was the first RAAF Base to be established in New South Wales.  As early as 1916 a school of aviation was established at Ham Common to train aviators for military flying.  The name of the airfield changed to Richmond Aerodrome when it was taken over by the Federal Government in 1923.  In July 1925 the first RAAF element in NSW, Number 3 Squadron, formed at Richmond. Staff at the base generously donated their time and many significant objects to the Hawkesbury Historical Society so that the broader community could enjoy learning of the purpose and significance of the RAAF and specifically to allow those who may have had personal involvement with the Richmond Base to reminisce and share their stories.

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