As we reported on in August, the Camp Columbia Heritage Association (CCHA) had a great win for the Camp Columbia Heritage Project. We received funding under the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grants program for a Heritage interpretation signage at Pooh Corner Bushland Reserve. Brisbane City Council is funding a new display cabinet on the rear of the existing noticeboard.
The new cabinet has now been installed with initial heritage interpretation information at the entrance to the Pooh Corner Bushland Reserve in Wacol. A more permanent display will be installed early in 2025. The cabinet has been mounted on the back of the existing noticeboard just inside the Reserve. The existing front display cabinet shows interpretative information mostly about biodiversity values and walking tracks, with only brief reference to history. The final display will include information about Camp Columbia history during World War II and its various subsequent uses. The project’s expected impact includes raising visitor awareness of this rich heritage and history.
The council’s grant covered the cost of the fabrication and installation of a physical display cabinet. The Netherlands Embassy agreed that we can use of the money of the seeding grant we received from them for content development, graphic design and production of the display materials ourselves.
Paul Budde
On 12 December Ed Parker organised the new display cabinet, and placed the interim posters with the assistance of Ethan Devereux-Phillips and Allan Tonks.
There was an interesting quote in the newsletter of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) that is very appropriate for the Camp Columbia heritage site.
Geologist and archaeologist Robert M. van Heeringen, mentioned that it becomes clear that those who wish to protect monuments—and therefore engage in fundraising—must be skilled in many areas. Making the monumental value of this “undeveloped visible monument” apparent is no easy task. It requires adaptability to prevailing circumstances. In addition to historical and cultural arguments, in 2024, the focus is also on biodiversity and the significance of the flora and fauna of such beautiful places.