Yanchep Radar Station No.227

During WW2, Australia feared enemy air attack along its western coast, particularly after Japan entered the war in 1941. Perth, Fremantle Harbour and key coastal defences needed early warning of any approaching aircraft. Radar quickly became one of the most important tools in that defence system.

 

To strengthen air surveillance over Western Australia, the Royal Australian Air Force established No. 227 Radar Station near Yanchep, north of Perth. The station’s role was to scan the skies over the Indian Ocean and report any detections to Western Australian Air Defence Headquarters, giving fighter aircraft and coastal batteries time to prepare.

 

Location and role

The Yanchep Radar Station was built on elevated ground well suited to long-range detection over the ocean. Its position allowed it to monitor airspace approaching Western Australia from the northwest, which was considered a likely direction of attack.

 

The station formed part of a wider radar network protecting the Perth region. Information gathered at Yanchep was passed on to fighter control and to other military installations, including radar and gun sites on Rottnest Island. Together, these stations created an overlapping early-warning screen designed to prevent surprise air attacks.

 

Establishment of No. 227 Radar Station

No. 227 Radar Station was formed in August 1943 as a fixed air-warning radar station. Personnel were drawn from both the RAAF and the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force. The station became fully operational on 27 October 1943 and maintained a continuous watch, operating around the clock.

 

Radar buildings and equipment

The radar equipment at Yanchep was housed in two reinforced concrete bunkers, spaced about 40 metres apart. One bunker contained the transmitter equipment, while the other housed the receiver. Concrete channels and foundation pads were built into the floors to support heavy electrical and communications equipment.

 

Nearby, two tall wooden towers supported the radar aerials. These 150ft towers were substantial structures, built with legs set into concrete footings to provide stability in strong winds. The aerial rotated to transmit radio pulses and receive echoes reflected back from aircraft.

 

Although basic by modern standards, this system allowed operators to determine both the distance and direction of aircraft. This advance gave Allied forces time, something they had never had before. Even a short warning could mean the difference between an organised defence and a surprise attack.

 

Accommodation

The radar site itself was too remote for personnel to commute daily. As a result, the unit’s headquarters and living quarters were established at Gloucester Lodge within Yanchep National Park.

 

Personnel billeted at Gloucester Lodge travelled to the radar site to operate and maintain the equipment. Shifts ran continuously, day and night and life was structured around keeping watch over the skies. When they weren’t on duty, personnel made use of the surrounding bushland and park environment.

 

Staffing and life at the station

The detachment of staff at radar stations usually numbered between 25 and 30 people. A commanding officer, often a flight lieutenant or warrant officer, oversaw operations. Radar operators worked in shifts to maintain a constant watch.

 

WAAAF personnel were mainly responsible for plotting and tracking aircraft movements on charts inside the operations room. RAAF airmen handled technical maintenance, power generation and security. Everyone lived in basic conditions, worked long hours and had little privacy.

 

Even during quiet periods when no aircraft were detected, operators remained at their posts, maintaining constant vigilance.

 

Air raid alarm

The unit did not record any confirmed tracking of enemy aircraft during its service. However, it played a role in the first genuine air raid alarm raised for Perth on 10 March 1944.

 

On that day, radar operators detected multiple unidentified blips about 150 miles north of the city. This information led to an all-clear decision to sound the alarm, even though no aircraft were ultimately sighted. Later investigations suggested the radar returns were likely caused by enemy radio jamming, rather than actual aircraft.

 

Radar warfare

As the war progressed, it became clear that Japan was also developing and deploying radar technology. By the middle of the war, radar had become an invisible battlefield, with both sides racing to improve detection range, accuracy and reliability.

 

Although Japanese radar generally lagged behind Allied systems, the possibility of enemy aircraft using radar to guide attacks made early-warning stations even more important. Sites like Yanchep remained on constant alert throughout the conflict.

 

Stand-down and closure

As the war drew to a close in 1945, the threat to Western Australia diminished. Radar stations began reducing staffing levels, although many continued operating for months after hostilities ended.

 

After Victory in the Pacific Day on 15 August 1945, No. 227 Radar Station began winding down. Operations ceased in November 1945.

 

The station was fully stood down in 1946. Radar equipment was dismantled, packed and removed. Temporary buildings were demolished or abandoned and the unit was formally disbanded once all the equipment had been cleared.

 

What remains today

Most of the Yanchep Radar Station has disappeared. The wooden towers and associated buildings were removed after the war. What survives today are the two concrete radar bunkers located within Yanchep National Park. The southern bunker originally housed the transmitter equipment and the northern bunker housed the receiver.

 

These two bunkers are the only significant physical remains of the wartime radar station. They sit roughly 40 metres apart and are identifiable by their simple, robust concrete construction, similar in form to a Nissen hut, with ventilation exhaust chambers and pits and drainage features.

 

After the war, the bunkers were reused for other purposes. In the 1960s and 1970s they were adapted by local mushroom growers before eventually falling into disuse.

 

By the late 1980s, the bunkers were recognised for their heritage value. They were added to the Register of the National Estate and classified by the National Trust of Australia. Today they are listed as State Registered Heritage Places under the name “YNP Army Bunkers - Radar Installation”, recognised for their role in Western Australia’s wartime communications and air defence network.