CCHA, Author at Camp Columbia

Celebrating our partnership with Wolston and Centenary Catchments Inc

The Camp Columbia Heritage Association (CCHA) is proud to recognise and express heartfelt gratitude to Wolston and Centenary Catchments Inc (WaCC), the dedicated managers of the Pooh Corner Environment Centre (PCEC), who have been invaluable partners in bringing Camp Columbia’s heritage to life. A natural collaboration: heritage meets environment Our collaboration began when CCHA discovered […]

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Lord Mayor to host civic reception in honour of Camp Columbia Heritage Association

We are proud to announce that the Lord Mayor of Brisbane will host an official civic reception in honour of the Camp Columbia Heritage Association on the eve of our international WWII symposium. This prestigious event will take place at Brisbane City Hall, in the Balmoral Room, on Friday 29 August 2025 from 5.30pm to

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Netherlands Forces Intelligence Service (NEFIS): Dutch intelligence in exile at Camp Columbia

The Netherlands Forces Intelligence Service (NEFIS) was the wartime intelligence arm of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) government-in-exile. It emerged after the collapse of the NEI in early 1942, when Dutch civil and military authorities relocated to Australia. NEFIS became the centre of Dutch intelligence, propaganda, and special operations in the South West Pacific Area

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Food and goods rationing in Brisbane during WWII

In several of the personal stories on our website we come across issues regarding the rationing of goods. The following information is an abstract from July 2025 bulletin from the Royal Historical Society of Queensland. During the Second World War (1939 – 1945), Australia, in common with other Allied nations, rationed important commodities, including food,

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Brisbane’s overlooked wartime legacy: the forgotten Allied capital of Australia

Symposium: Allied co-operation in Brisbane during WWII – Book Here In Australia, the global significance of Brisbane’s role during World War II is still not widely understood. Most Australians know that American forces were based here, and some may recall the so-called “Battle of Brisbane.” But few realise that Brisbane served as the most important

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WWII Heritage Bus Tour: Brisbane’s Forgotten Frontline

Explore Brisbane’s hidden WWII history on a full-day guided tour through key military and cultural sites across the city — from inner-city command centres to outer suburban camps like Camp Columbia. This unique event forms part of the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Pacific commemorations, including the International Symposium on Allied Cooperation in Brisbane

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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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Camp Columbia – a wartime crossroads on Brisbane’s doorstep

We are pleased to share a feature article , now available on the website of our researcher Ingeborg van Teeseling: Australia Explained. This comprehensive piece brings together historical insights and personal recollections to highlight the unique international role of Camp Columbia during and after World War II. From American and Dutch military operations to the

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KNIL soldier Anne Beetstra: A Dutch-Canadian woman at Camp Columbia, 1944–46

This compelling first-person account, written by her daughter Claire Smith-Burns, traces the remarkable wartime journey of Anna Wiebrigje Beetstra, a Dutch-Canadian woman who served in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) during the final years of World War II. Born in Friesland in 1923 and raised in British Columbia, Anne was inspired to join

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Vale Dr Jonathan (Jack) Ford

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr Jonathan (Jack) Ford on 29 June 2025, at his home in Brisbane. Jack had recently returned from hospital following heart treatment and, when we last spoke two days before his untimely death, he told me that the new medication had given him a

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British Naval Presence in Brisbane During WWII

During most of World War II, the port of Brisbane was dominated by the United States Navy. The British Royal Navy (RN) only established a significant operational presence in Brisbane in 1945, as part of the British Pacific Fleet’s activities toward the end of the war. HMAS Moreton was commissioned behind today’s QUT on 1

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Symposium: Allied co-operation in Brisbane during WWII: Australia, USA, Netherlands, UK – 30–31 August 2025 at UQ- Bus Tour Brisbane WWII sites – 1 September

Speakers, delegates and guests will be invited by the Lord Mayor for a civil reception on Friday evening 29 August! 2025 marks 80 years since the end of World War II in the Pacific—a defining moment in global history and in Brisbane’s legacy as a key Allied command centre. To commemorate this milestone, the Camp

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NEI Army at Victory Parade in Brisbane – 16 August 1945

Brisbane 16 August 1945. Approximately 10,000 men and women of the fighting services of five nations took part in a victory march through the city streets. The salute was taken by the Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Wilson. Shown, the Netherlands East Indies Army contingent passing the saluting base. Brisbane’s Victory March: 16 August 1945

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WWII Symposium Allied co-operation in Brisbane moved to UQ St Lucia

The University of Queensland is a supporter of the Camp Columbia Heritage Association. They have conducted archeologic research at the site of the former camp. The St Lucia Campus was during WII the HQ of the South-West Pacific Area (SWPA) Advanced Land Headquarters led by Australian General Thomas Blamey, who was Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Military Forces

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New heritage display at Pooh Corner Bushland Reserve

Thanks to the support of the Brisbane City Council’s Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grants program—which funded the display cabinet—and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE)—which supported the design and printing of the interpretive panels—we now have a high-quality heritage display installed at the entrance to the walking tracks in the Pooh Corner Bushland

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The untold Dutch chapter of Brisbane’s wartime history

While Brisbane’s role in World War II is often remembered in connection with the large American presence and the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur, few people today are aware of the significant Dutch wartime presence in the city—or the extraordinary fact that a foreign government operated from Australian soil during the final years of the

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The 1944 US Military Pocket Guide to the Netherlands East Indies

In 1944, the United States War Department published a small but detailed booklet titled Pocket Guide to the Netherlands East Indies. Produced as part of a broader series of cultural guides for American troops deployed overseas, this 80 pages booklet was designed to familiarise servicemen with the geography, people, customs, and political structure of the

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Historical snapshot: Wacol

Historical snapshot: Wacol Read More »

Camp Columbia Army Huts ended up at Merthyr Bowls Club, at New Farm

At its peak the US Navy had almost 6500 personnel stationed in Brisbane during 1944. Of these 685 were commissioned officers. Brisbane offered few entertainment venues for visiting or stationed officers, and a decision was made by the Commander Service Force, Seventh Fleet to construct an Officers Mess. Through the Australian Army Hiring Service, the

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Camp Meeandah – a key American logistics hub in Brisbane

During the Second World War, Camp Meeandah played a crucial but often overlooked role in Brisbane’s contribution to the Allied war effort in the Pacific. Located near Pinkenba, on the northern banks of the Brisbane River, it was developed as part of the United States Army’s Service of Supply (USASOS) network, which supported General Douglas

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Author name: CCHA