 In July – August 1946 , Eastern Area Command oversaw the establishment of No. 86 ( Transport ) Wing , operating C @-@ 47 Dakotas , at RAAF Station Schofields , New South Wales , displacing No. 78 ( Fighter ) Wing , which moved to RAAF Station Williamtown , and began operating P @-@ 51 Mustangs . The following month , Air Vice Marshal Jones proposed reducing the five mainland area commands ( North @-@ Western , North @-@ Eastern , Eastern , Southern , and Western Areas ) to three : Northern Area , covering Queensland and the Northern Territory ; Eastern Area , covering New South Wales ; and Southern Area , covering Western Australia , South Australia , Victoria and Tasmania . The proposal was part of a much larger plan to restructure the post @-@ war RAAF ; the Federal government rejected the plan and the wartime area command boundaries largely remained in place . Lachal succeeded Charlesworth as AOC Eastern Area in October , and held command until his retirement from the Air Force in July 1947 . 
