Originally however Camooweal's landing spot was just a black soil strip.

Ross and Keith Smith were the first to fly over in 1919 having been delayed at Anthony's Lagoon.

They dropped aerial letters 1 and 2.

They also dropped a spark plug and a valve spring which the locals raffled in March, 1920 at 1/- (one shilling) per ticket in aid of the local hospital.

In May 1921, McGinness and Baird left Longreach in the Avro and flew to Elderslie Station where they picked up C J Brabazon and flew him to Austral Downs in the Northern Territory.

The aeroplane was greeted with enthusiasm at Urandangie and then at Camooweal where many residents were given their first ride in the new flying machine.

Bert Hinkler was entertained in regal style when he landed in 1928, on his solo flight from England in 15 days on which he broke five records.

In 1929, Charles Kingsford Smith refuelled in Camooweal enroute to England.

There Kingsford Smith picked up a letter from Mrs J Freckleton to Irish relatives for posting in London, which was possibly the first airmail letter from Australia to Ireland.

In 1930 flying hard in an attempt to break Bert Hinkler's record, Charles Kingsford Smith landed at Camooweal and completed the trip to England to Australia in 12 days.

Also in 1930 the pioneering adventurer Francis Chichester (later knighted as Sir Francis Chichester) dropped in to the border town flying his Gipsy Moth 1 de Havilland.

It was at Camooweal Chichester learned the sad news of his wife's death.

C W A Scott (or Scotty as he was known) was, according to one description, 'a brilliant, volatile character' who was a great hit with the Reilly girls at the Post Office Hotel where he stayed overnight while he worked for Qantas.

In 1931, however, C W A Scott was on his solo flight, England to Australia, when he beat Charles Kingsford Smith's record of 8 days 21 hours.

Later in company with Campbell Black, he won the Melbourne Centenary Air Race worth £10,000 in a De Havilland Comet flying London to Melbourne.

Jean Batten landed for refuelling in her Comfer Swift G.A.B.R.A. in 1931 and the next year 1932 the German aviatrix Ella Boeharm landed and was very popular with the locals.

From 1931 to 1938 Mrs Bonney flew several flights, was the first woman to circumnavigate Australia by air and overnighted at Camooweal on one occasion when she judged a fancy dress ball.

A welcome was arrange by the local Country Women's Association for Amy Johnson but she flew direct to Cloncurry upsetting the ladies.

During World War II the aerodrome runways were extended and sealed and proved a great asset, serving as an emergency landing site and fuelling stopover.

Ron McCullagh was the youthful overseer of this Allied Works Council job which utilised German and Italian internees.

At that stage we were still hand pumping the fuel from an underground tank and I well recall in company with Joe Freckleton(Snr) and W Lansen (Snr) pumping 1,000 gallons for five American aircraft using this underground pumping mechanism.

Writing of dust and 'bedouries' and the hazards there were to flying in north west Queensland, Eric Donaldson says in 'Qantas Rising' that:

"He left Camooweal in Jupiter 5 one day when there was a dust storm and from the air it was almost impossible to see the ground from 500 feet.

He became confused by timber getter's roads and somewhere about the Buckley River could not see Yelvertoft Station so followed a timber road.

When a station loomed out of the dust he had no idea where he was so he cut the engine, glided over the station at a very low altitude and called out 'Where's Isa?'

The folk below waved towels and arms in a South East direction so off he flew until he hit the Isa/Camooweal road, following it to the Leichardt River and he followed the railway line all the way to Cloncurry."

Eric had the habit of going down when in trouble and getting his bearings from any person available.

('Qantas Rising' Sir Hudson Fysh)

At this time the Commonwealth Government was getting ready to call tenders for the first airmail services.

Alf Ashley and Frank Neale arrived in Camooweal on 1 February, 1930 with the aeroplanes 'Wattle Bird' and the 'Bell Bird' and the Camooweal/Daly Waters service commended on 2 February 1930.

Alf Ashley operated this service (Camooweal to Daly Waters) for three years and then spent 12 years as a Qantas pilot.

His mechanic was Bill Kirk.

Both these men left Camooweal with splendid wives in Rhoda and Glen Reilly.

Alf's place at Camooweal was taken by Ray Garrett who stayed ten months at the Post Office Hotel.

He was an avid photographer and when I spoke to Sir Raymond Garrett as he is now, he was keen for news of Camooweal.

Sir Raymond Garrett was knighted for his special training and flying work during the Second World War and for his command of fighters, as well for his 20 years as President of the Victorian Legislative Council.

At 83 he maintains a vital interest in current affairs and was anxious to know just what format the Camooweal Celebrations would take.

And it was Sir Raymond who supplied me with some splendid photographs of aeroplanes and aerodromes.

Researched by Kim-Maree Burton www.kimmareeburton.com

First published in The Border and Beyond - Camooweal 1984-1994.

Photographs courtesy of Mrs Ada Miller, the family of Sir Raymond Garrett and Queensland State Library