Author name: CCHA

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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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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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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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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Programme and Abstracts of the Symposium: Allied co-operation in Brisbane during WWII: Australia, USA, Netherlands, UK held in August 2025 at UQ

For outcomes of the symposium see: From Symposium to Strategy: Securing Brisbane’s Place as WWII Allied Capital 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 Columbia Heritage Association

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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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