 Central Area was disbanded in August 1941 and its responsibilities divided between Southern Area , Northern Area , and the newly formed No. 2 ( Training ) Group . The outbreak of the Pacific War resulted in Northern Area being split in January 1942 into North @-@ Western and North @-@ Eastern Areas , to counter separate Japanese threats to Northern Australia and New Guinea . Southern Area was also considered appropriate for division owing to its size , so the Air Board proposed assigning responsibility for operational and maintenance units within New South Wales to a new area command , Eastern Area , which would also assume control of units in southern Queensland from North @-@ Eastern Area . 
