Central Coast Council in consultation with Umina Community Group and the Geographic Names Board have officially approved a name change of Woy Woy’s Trafalgar Avenue Park to The Runway.

Community advocacy for the name change was led by Umina Community Group and the new name has been adopted to recognise the historic significance of this location for the local community.

Local historian Steve Spillard documented that this land now known as Trafalgar Ave was once used by the RAAF as an aerodrome during the early years of the Second World War.

Once the threat of invasion diminished at the end of 1943, the airfield was relegated to become an Emergency Landing Ground and part of a network of coastal airfields. In the following years, the land used by the army was returned to the original owners or sold off and had subsequently been used for pubic outdoor use.

In 2017, Council worked in conjunction with Umina Community Group and other residents to redevelop the grassed park into a beautiful and engaging open space community space. The works included the construction of a 120 metre pathway, installation of a safe and engaging playspace and landscape works including the planting of more than 3000 plants and 30 trees.

The re-naming of this park ensures that yesterday’s history is remembered well into the future.