Peter Dunn came across this document from the ‘History of Base Section 3’. It provides interesting insights into the construction of Camp Columbia.
Regarding ‘Base Section 3’, during World War II, the U.S. Army’s Services of Supply (USASOS) in the Southwest Pacific Area organised Australia into several base sections for administrative purposes. Base Section 3 encompassed the Brisbane area, where Camp Columbia was situated. The base section surgeon’s office in Brisbane was relatively large, supervising an industrial health program that covered about 10,000 employees by the end of 1943.
Therefore, Camp Columbia was within the jurisdiction of Base Section 3, serving as a pivotal location for both American and Dutch military operations during and after World War II.
According to the RBA’s calculator, a basket of goods and services valued at $250,000 in 1944 would cost approximately $11,500,000 in 2025. This calculation reflects the cumulative effect of inflation over the 81-year period, indicating that prices have increased by a factor of about 46 during this time.
Base Section 3 encompassed the whole of Southern Queensland with Brisbane as its Headquarters.
