Gawler 1943.

Photo Links.

With a population of 2000.situated on the Stuart highway and the rail link to the mainland states in late 1942 was unspoilt and unaware of the events that were taking place that would alter its citizens and local history. Gawler was the service centre for large area of grain and dairy farms the town was the seat of local goverment, the Council led by Mr Wm Antwis as Mayor with a Mr F J Richards as his Town Clerk. The wide long main street was a busy business area supported by industries that were established to support the local commericial and agricultural interests such as stores, car and motor truck sales and services, blacksmiths, a foundry and domestic suppliers. The above insert is a street taken in the 1930's the insert on the left is almost the same scene taken 70 years later.

Land a few kilometers North West of Gawler at Willington was procured by the Commonwealth to be the future airbase that could service the full range of aircraft on service with the allied airforces and what is at the present time is the Headquarters of the Adelaide Soaring Club.The first indication that the local community had was the influx of RAAF personnel, then the arrival of the first aircraft to be taken on strength, the sound of the Allison engine that powered the P40M Kittyhawks was very distintive and the word soon spread that a new Squadron was being formed. Historically the last fighter squadron to be formed and only RAAF Squadron to be formed in South Australia. Over the next two months the community had fully accepted this unit as their own and to this day the ties between it and The 86 Squadron Club of South Australia as are strong as they were in that year, this bond was forged by events involving a Pilot Officer Ivor Hatcher a former resident of the area, an armourer by the name of J (Butch) MacGregor, and Thompsons "Eagle Foundry"situated in King Street Gawler and the cast of an Eagle that was the motif of the company.

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