Identify location of airfield

[Bruce]

I did stop in at Te Aroha racecourse as well - it definitely isnt the site - it is on the flats on the other side of the river from the town, definitely no hills immediately behind. The main stands also face Mt Te aroha.

[steve]

Game set and match...well done Bruce. Now we have to find another mystery airfield pic to investigate!

[wolft]

I went to Paeroa today to get some shots from a closer angle and what can I say it just didn't look right. After talking to a lady at the racecourse she but me on to the museum and gave me the name of the racing expert at the Hauraki Herald.
First to the museum, the local historian confirmed that the photo was not taken in Paeroa (the grandstand, the old one with burned down in 1928 looked quite different). He did have records of a Avro visit there in 1922 (tickes 2 pound) but that plane used the domain as a landing strip.
Next of to the Hauraki Herold. I met Terry Redford there who is the racing expert. He looked only briefly at the copy of the photo and said it was taken in Thames.
Next stop was the race course in Thames. Have a look what I found. I think Thames is the place after all.











The old and the new blends in quite well.

Wolfgang

[Dave Homewood]

Bungo. Well done Wolfgang. You've definately nailed it there. The grandstand has grown a little but the rest fits perfectly.

Thanks for sharing this very historic photo with us, and allowing us to join in the mystery hunt. If you have any other aviation photos you'd like to share, I'm certain we'd all love to see them.

[flyjoe180]

Is that where the "Goldfields" stand is next to the current airfield?

[steve]

Goodness gracious maybe not game set and match...fasinating..i never thought of Thames.....however when you compare the original pic ...the elevated terrain in the background looks like a mountain...where as the pic at Thames looks like a hill. There again the more i compare..i think you may have nailed it!!!! well done...My family came ftom Thames and Waihi and at one stage in the 1870s Thames was apparently a bigger Town town than Auckland...(just some useless information for not getting it right!)

[Bruce]

Yeah, thats an even better match - I went past Thames racecourse on my trip the other day, but because the road goes behind the stand I didnt see anything to ring bells. Also says a bit about mindsets!
well done!