Author name: CCHA

The Americans in Brisbane

Between 1942 and 1944, Brisbane hosted one of the most significant concentrations of U.S. military personnel in the Pacific Theatre. Central to this presence was Camp Columbia at Wacol—home to 5,000 troops and headquarters for the U.S. Sixth Army under Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger. From here, key campaigns across New Guinea and the Philippines were […]

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Camp Columbia and the training of Dutch officers for the Netherlands Indies and New Guinea

During the Second World War, Camp Columbia at Wacol was more than the headquarters of General MacArthur’s Sixth Army. It also housed the American Officer Candidate School, a facility with classrooms, lecture halls and barracks that trained thousands of young Allied officers. When the Netherlands Indies Government-in-Exile moved to Australia in 1942, the Dutch quickly

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Saluut Batavia – Uncovering the untold story of female KNIL soldiers in Indonesia

In October 2024, Dutch journalist and copywriter Jorien Wallast published a groundbreaking work titled Saluut Batavia: Het verhaal van de vrouwelijke KNIL-soldaten (Salute Batavia: The story of the female KNIL soldiers), offering a rare window into a little-known facet of Dutch post-war military history. This non-fiction book explores the experience of young women who joined

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The Battle of Brisbane: Two sides of the same riot

The Battle of Brisbane, a violent two-night clash between Australian and American servicemen in November 1942, remains one of the most extraordinary and yet under-discussed episodes of Allied wartime friction. In Australia—particularly in Brisbane—it has entered popular memory as a moment of explosive resentment toward the dominant American presence. In the United States, however, it

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CCHA works closely with Museum Bronbeek in the Netherlands

What the museum is about Museum Bronbeek, in Arnhem, is the Netherlands’ national centre for understanding the colonial-military past of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It sits on the historic Bronbeek estate, which also houses the Royal Home for Former Military Personnel. The institution’s official name is Koninklijk Tehuis voor Oud-Militairen en Museum Bronbeek (KTOMM)

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WWII Brisbane Bus Tour — tracing the city of the Allied Capital

As part of our symposium Allied Co-operation in Brisbane during WWII: Australia, USA, Netherlands, UK, we took the story out of the lecture theatre and into the city. This post-symposium bus tour connected the conference themes to the places where history happened, linking archives, artefacts, and personal testimonies to Brisbane’s wartime landscape. Guided by archaeologist

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Symposium delegates visit the site of the former Camp Columbia 1/9/2025

Delegates on the WWII Brisbane bus tour gathered at Pooh Corner Bushland Reserve, the site of the former Camp Columbia. Over tea and coffee generously hosted by Wolston & Centenary Catchments (WaCC), Paul Budde gave a short orientation on Camp Columbia’s wartime footprint and today’s conservation efforts before we walked to the recently by Brisbane

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From Symposium to Strategy: Securing Brisbane’s Place as WWII Allied Capital

Turning commemoration into opportunity: defence ties in 2027, global heritage in 2032 The Allied Co-operation in Brisbane during WWII: Australia, USA, Netherlands, UK symposium, held at the University of Queensland on 30–31 August 2025, brought together a full house of delegates, historians, community representatives, and descendants to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of

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Rare ceremonial sword from the Netherlands East Indies to be displayed for the first time

At the upcoming “Allied Co-operation in Brisbane during WWII” International Symposium, to be held on 30–31 August 2025 at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus, visitors will have a unique opportunity to view a remarkable historical artefact: a 19th-century ceremonial sword from the Netherlands East Indies. This will be the first time the sword

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The Dutch in Brisbane

In 1944, after the departure of U.S. forces, Camp Columbia took on a new identity—as the seat of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) Government-in-Exile. This was the only time a foreign government operated on Australian soil. The Dutch presence was deeply significant: it included both civil and military elements, with over 2,000 people based at

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Brisbane at war

When Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 expanded the war into the Pacific, Brisbane was thrust into the frontline of Allied operations. By 1942, after the bombing of Darwin and growing fears of Japanese invasion, Brisbane became a critical military hub in the South West Pacific. The city transformed rapidly—civilians were evacuated from

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