Camp Columbia Display Cabinet installed at Pooh Corner

In August 2023 CCHA received funding under the Brisbane City Council (BCC) Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grants program to update heritage interpretation signage at Pooh Corner Bushland Reserve. This grant funded a new display cabinet on the rear of the existing noticeboard. With a grant received from The Embassy of the Netherlands we were also able to design an information poster for the cabinet.

The new cabinet has 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 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 BCC grant covered the cost of the fabrication and installation of a physical display cabinet.

Paul Budde

On 12 December 2024, CCHA Treasurer Ed Parker placed interim posters in the newly-installed display cabinet, with the assistance of Ethan Devereux-Phillips and Allan Tonks.

Below the acknowledgement of the funding we received from Brisbane City Council and the information we have put on the front of the display cabinet that provides information on the ecology of Pooh Corner:

Proudly supported by:

This project has been assisted by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Embassy of Kingdom of the Netherlands, Australia.

There was an interesting quote in the newsletter of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) that is 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.