Wittenoom Gorge Airport (Closed) (WIT)

WARNING: Wittenoom Gorge Airport has been permanently closed since 1993 and the site is heavily contaminated with deadly blue asbestos. The Department of Environment & Conservation designated the area unsuitable for human settlement in 2008. This airport was integral to Australia's blue asbestos mining industry from the 1940s-1960s, serving Colonial Sugar Company's Australian Blue Asbestos Ltd. operations. The runway was paved with asbestos tailings, creating extreme health hazards. Airlines (WA) Ltd. and MacRobertson Miller Airlines operated services bringing approximately 7,000 workers to what became 'the greatest industrial disaster in Australia.' Over 2,000 former workers and residents have died from asbestos-related diseases as of 2024. The mine closed in 1966 due to unprofitability and growing health concerns. In 1996, demolished town buildings were buried at the airport site, further contaminating the area. The entire Wittenoom area remains a significant health risk with no safe access possible. The original 1,200-meter gravel runway served twin-engine aircraft connecting workers to Perth, approximately 1,400 kilometers southwest. Colonial Sugar Company operations extracted over 160,000 tons of blue asbestos from 1943-1966, with airport facilities handling passenger and cargo flights carrying asbestos products. The town's population peaked at 20,000 residents during the 1960s, served by regular Fokker F-27 and DC-3 flights. The Western Australian Government removed Wittenoom from official maps in 2007 and cut off utilities. Today, road access remains possible but is strongly discouraged due to airborne asbestos fiber risks. The site stands as a permanent memorial to victims of industrial negligence and the importance of workplace safety regulations.

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