Representatives of the RAAF North Eastern Area Command and US Forces in Townsville ventured into the Gulf country in early 1942 to seek a suitable location for an advanced operational base (AOB) in the region. In April a landing ground site was chosen north of Augustus Downs homestead on the Leichhardt River. The cattle station was located over 160 road kilometres to the nearest railhead north of Cloncurry at Dobbyn, to which it was connected by an unformed track that was impassable in the wet season. However, a landing ground was urgently required in the region and construction was initiated by Burke Shire Council. By the end of May a single strip 6500 feet (1981 metres) in length had been cleared and graded. The powdery clay surface of the runway was consolidated with a thin layer of gravel and bitumen. A second runway running parallel to the main landing ground was cleared as an emergency strip for use during the construction, however no evidence of this strip remains.