John Mitchell
2 May, 2021, 3:30 pm
The RNZAF’s original and fi rst
Nausori hangar in 1942.
Picture: “Laucala Bay”/Alexander
Turnbull Library
World War II, from 1939 to 1945, was a transformative period for Fiji
In readiness for war, there were a few massive infrastructure developments in the colony. Among them were the establishment of our “landing strips” from which we inherited our airports.
By July 1939, it had already been confirmed that Nadi was going to be the main “aerodrome” site in Fiji.
Nausori was to have a single strip and Laucala Bay was to be a seaplane station, with a secondary station in Lautoka for active use during bad weather.