When the Imperial Japanese attacked Darwin and Broome in 1942 resulting in the loss of 16 flying boats, the establishment of a safe haven for flying boats was required inland as a remote facility outside the sphere of Japanese airplanes. Lake Boga was picked as it allowed almost unlimited choice of landing/take off directions and was free of obstructions. It was also close to nearby infrastructure. The station at Lake Boga closed in November 1947.