Qantas Huts

Qantas Huts
Qantas Huts
	Location of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Houses for Qantas Empire Airways passengers
Location	Sydney Highway, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Country	Australia
Coordinates	12°11′20″S96°49′44″E / 12.1888°S 96.8290°E Coordinates: 12°11′20″S96°49′44″E / 12.1888°S 96.8290°E
Completed	c. 1960s
Client	Qantas Empire Airways
Technical details
Material	Cement asbestos; timber
Commonwealth Heritage List
Official name	Qantas Huts (former)
Type	Listed place (Historic)
Designated	22 June 2004
Reference no.	105354

Last updated January 21, 2021

The Qantas Huts are heritage-listed former accommodation huts at Sydney Highway, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. They were added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.^[1]

History

By 1951, the Australian Government assumed control of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and in the same year, amid disputes with the Clunies-Ross family over the management of the Islands, the family sold 150 hectares (370 acres) to the Australian Government for the construction of an airfield.^[1]

During World War II air travel between Australia and Asia was difficult because there were few planes which could fly between Australia and East Africa or Ceylon without stopping for fuel. In 1939, Captain Taylor demonstrated that Catalina flying boats were able to cross the Indian Ocean as long as there were stops for refuelling. During World War II the Royal Air Force squadron was formed in Ceylon. They made 824 secret journeys between the Indian Ocean and Perth, transporting personnel, official mail and patrolling the Ocean, with a non-stop flying time of 28 hours. These planes refuelled at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands when they had larger pay loads.^[1]

In the 1940s, Qantas Empire Airways maintained five Catalinas and flew to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands infrequently. The airstrip was upgraded after 1952 with capacity for the landing and take-off of Qantas Constellations and Stratocruisers. Qantas and later the South African Airways used the Islands as a transit stop between Perth and Johannesburg, South Africa.^[1]

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands became an Australian external territory in 1955. During the 1960s Indonesia declared its airspace "out of bounds" and thousands of aircraft passengers on route from Australia to South Africa stayed on West Island. The Qantas Huts provided passengers with accommodation while the larger aeroplanes were refuelled overnight.^[1]

Description

The Qantas Huts are located on Sydney Highway near the intersection with Clunies Ross Avenue in the West Island Settlement.^[1]

They consist of two asbestos cement clad accommodation buildings which are timber framed and elevated on concrete stumps with verandahs to the north. These comprise six rooms within each block.^[1]

In 1996 the buildings were considered to be in fair condition.^[1]

In 2000 it was noted that a verandah had been added as well as solid double doors. The double doors are timber and are considered to be inappropriate to the style of the house.^[1]

Heritage listing

The Former Qantas Huts are significant as evidence of the era in Australian aviation history where aeroplane services between Perth and Johannesburg, South Africa, required a refuelling stop at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands because of the long flying time over the Indian Ocean. Accommodation was provided for passengers in the form of huts. The Former Qantas Huts are also associated with the period in the 1960s when the Indonesian Government declared its airspace "out of bounds" to the Australian aviation industry, forcing Australian commercial and military aircraft to refuel at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands on the route to South Africa.^[1]

The Former Qantas Huts are rare examples of short term accommodation provided for travellers during aircraft refuelling on international flights over the Indian Ocean in the 1960s.^[1]

Related Research Articles

The Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands is an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka. It is part of Southeast Asia and is in the Southern Hemisphere. The territory's dual name reflects that the islands have historically been known as either the Cocos Islands or the Keeling Islands.

West Island, part of the South Keeling Islands, is the capital of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The population is roughly 120 making it the third smallest capital in the world, and consists mainly of Europeans. It is less populous than Home Island, the only other inhabited island.

The Double Sunrise service was formed in 1943 to re-establish the Australia–England air link that had been cut due to the fall of Singapore in 1942. The service initially operated from its base in Nedlands, Western Australia near Perth, to the Royal Air Force base at Lake Koggala near Galle in Ceylon. It was later extended to Karachi in India, which was the terminus for the BOAC service from England. The name of the service was derived from the crew and passengers observing two sunrises on each flight.

The West Island Mosque is a heritage-listed mosque at Alexander Street, West Island, of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an external territory of Australia. The mosque was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Home Island Industrial Precinct is a heritage-listed industrial area at Jalan Bunga Mawar, Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Direction Island Slipway and Tank are heritage-listed industrial remnants at Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. The site was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Six Inch Guns are a heritage-listed former battery at Horsburgh Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The West Island Housing Precinct is a heritage-listed residential area at Air Force Road, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

Oceania House is a heritage-listed house at Jalan Bunga Kangkong, Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

Government House is a heritage-listed official residence at Qantas Close, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The RAAF Memorial is a heritage-listed war memorial at West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Home Island Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery at Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Administration Building Forecourt is a heritage-listed garden and memorial precinct at Morea Close, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Type 2 Residences are six heritage-listed houses at Air Force Road, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

Direction Island (DI) Houses is a heritage-listed houses at Air Force Road, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The West Island Elevated Houses are heritage-listed houses at Orion Close, West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

Captain Ballards Grave is a heritage-listed burial place at Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Early Settlers' Graves are heritage-listed burial places at Jalan Kipas, Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Type T Houses Precinct is a heritage-listed residential area at William Keeling Crescent and Qantas Close, West Island Settlement, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

The Old Co-op Shop is a heritage-listed retail building at Jalan Bunga Mawar, Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Qantas Huts (former) (Place ID 105354)". Australian Heritage Database . Department of the Environment . Retrieved 15 May 2019.

Bibliography

Allom Lovell Marquis-Kyle Architects Pty Ltd (1996). Cocos (Keeling) Islands Heritage Study. Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.
Allom Lovell Marquis-Kyle Architects Pty Ltd (1994). Lot 14 Home Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Bunce, P. (1988). The Cocos (Keeling Islands) Australian Atolls in the Indian Ocean.
Nairn, B. (1986). Searle, G. (ed.). no title (1891-1939). Australian Dictionary of Biography . Melbourne University Press.

Attribution

This Wikipedia article was originally based on Qantas Huts (former) , entry number 105354 in the Australian Heritage Database published by the Commonwealth of Australia 2019 under CC-BY 4.0 licence , accessed on 15 May 2019.

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[ahd-105354-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Qantas Huts (former) (Place ID 105354)". Australian Heritage Database . Department of the Environment . Retrieved 15 May 2019.

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