New Plymouth's first airport was located on Te Arei Road in Bell Block and was officially opened by his Excellency the Governor-General Lord Galway on Saturday, 21 March 1936.
The land was first leased by the New Plymouth Aero Club in 1929 - a 170 acre block from Mr J.S.Connett. The aero club first approached the New Plymouth Borough Council in 1931 with a proposal that they purchase the Connett farm. At this stage the council did not consider an airport to be of significant value to the city and declined the offer.
The club renewed its offer to the council in 1933 shortly after Sir Charles Kingsford Smith had made his successful flight across the Tasman. This time the council accepted the offer and the New Plymouth Airport Bill ratified the agreement. The NPBC purchased 177 acres from the Connett family and the aero club gifted 60 acres of their own to the new development.
At the outbreak of World War II a RNZAF training base was established at the airport. A hanger and accommodation for staff was built in six weeks. The New Plymouth Master Builders agreed to suspend for all work on private buildings and concentrate on work at the airport. At the peak time more than 200 men were employed on the project.
In 1946 the New Plymouth Airport Board issued a publication called "New Zealand's Tasman Air Terminal; A case for having the right kind of airport in the right place". The Board was convinced that New Plymouth was an ideal location for a trans Tasman air service. In the foreward it was stated that, " ...in the succeeding pages will be found an assessment of the situation that is comprehensive and judicial, and a presentation of a case that is incontrovertible". The publication is available in the Taranaki Research Centre. (TRCT 387.7 NEW)
The Bell Block aerodrome continued to be used until the opening of the present airport, located at the end of Brown Road, in March 1967.
When it closed the New Plymouth City Council turned the area into an industrial estate. Roads were named after aircraft, people and aviation companies that had been influential during the existence of the aerodrome.
(Puke Ariki holds a collection of plans relating to the airport: ARC2013-1521)
Related documents:
Types of aeroplanes at New Plymouth Airport (Taranaki Daily News 21 March 1936)
Opening of the Airport (Taranaki Daily News 23 March 1936)
Air pageant scenes (Taranaki Daily News 25 March 1936)
Bell Block Aerodrome SO9087, ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)
After airport closed - the buildings were moved:
New Plymouth Civil Defence Headquarters 1967
Bill Whitaker's Woolshed at 63 Kaka Road Okoki - Ron Lambert (2013)
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