Camp Columbia Heritage Association Inc. (CCHA)
Symposium: Allied co-operation in Brisbane during WWII – Book Here
Latest Articles
Historical snapshot: Wacol
Symposium: Allied co-operation in Brisbane during WWII: Australia, USA, Netherlands, UK – 30–31 August 2025 – Bus Tour Brisbane WWII sites – Civic Reception Lord Mayor
Brisbane’s overlooked wartime legacy: the forgotten Allied capital of Australia
Camp Columbia Army Huts ended up at Merthyr Bowls Club, at New Farm
British Naval Presence in Brisbane During WWII
The untold Dutch chapter of Brisbane’s wartime history
Camp Meeandah – a key American logistics hub in Brisbane
Forgotten allies: how Brisbane’s WWII history has faded from Dutch memory
NIGIS: the Dutch wartime voice from Brisbane
Overlooked outpost: Brisbane and Camp Columbia in American WWII literature
The CCHA aims to preserve the history and heritage of Camp Columbia, a World War II-era military staging camp in Brisbane, and tell Camp Columbia’s story. The Camp Columbia site is situated in southwest Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (for a comprehensive overview of Camp Columbia, see here). The CCHA was formed informally in early 2022 and became an incorporated association in 2023. To achieve the goals of preserving Camp Columbia’s heritage and history, the CCHA relies on assistance from volunteers, and works in collaboration with its partners and supporters.
In its first five years, the CCHA aims to:
- Have the site heritage listed (process has been set in motion)
- Preserve and catalogue the last remaining elements of Camp Columbia as well as the artifacts found on site
- Improve accessibility for visitors to the historic remnants of the Camp
- Have an on-site visual heritage interpretation display
- Make the historical significance of the site more widely known to the general public.
The inaugural CCHA management committee consisted of Paul Budde (Chair), historian Jorien van Beukering (Secretary), Ed Parker Coordinator Pooh Corner Environmental Centre (Treasurer), Professor Ian Lilley University of Queensland (advisor), and Bart Lommerse (Dutch community).
In 2024-2025 the management committee is: Paul Budde (Chair), Ed Parker (Treasurer), Jorien van Beukering (Secretary), Bart Lommerse, Aegir Brands, Iand Ethan Devereux-Phillips.
Our Partners and Supporters
Financial Partners:
- Brisbane City Council
- Richlands, Inala and Suburbs History Group
- Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands
- Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Australia
Supporters:
- Pooh Corner Environment Center
- The University of Queensland
- Wolston and Centenary Catchments Inc (managers of Pooh Corner Environment Centre)
- Royal Historical Society of Queensland
- Dutch Australian Cultural Centre
- Netherlands Borrelclub in Brisbane
- Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Queensland
- MacArthur Museum Brisbane
- Anzac Square Memorial Galleries
- Oxley-Chelmer History Group