Adelaide Control Tower #2 - 1956-2008


The second Control Tower at Adelaide/West Beach was built on top of the airport's Passenger Terminal, as was the fashion in those days. The upper photo shows it under construction in 1956. The first landing at the new Adelaide Airport was made around noon on 16 December 1954 by DCA Douglas DC3, VH-CAO. The airport opened to regular services in 1955. A temporary Control Tower was in use until the permanent Tower was completed.

The aircraft in the photo above is a visiting U.S. Air Force C-119G Boxcar, 52-5938 (cn 11125). This aircraft was converted to AC-119G Shadow gunship standard in 1968, and later transferred to the South Vietnamese Air Force in 1972/3.

The photo below shows the old Tower atop a deserted Passenger Terminal on 27 August 2008, shot from the roadway outside the Terminal. The Tower had gone out of use many years earlier when the third (present) Tower was opened in November 1982. This Passenger Terminal closed in February 2006 when all operations moved to a new Terminal just up the road to the north-east. The old Terminal and Tower were demolished in early December 2008.

 

 

(Photos: Top-Maurice Austin collection; Bottom-Phil Vabre)

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