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 (S.O.S.) network, which supported General Douglas MacArthur’s Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) command.
Meeandah was one of several depots in Queensland managed by Base Section 3, the logistical branch of the US Army in the region. Construction began in mid-1943 and was completed by early 1944. The complex covered an extensive area and included 19 large warehouses, more than 1.1 million square feet of storage, five miles of internal roads, and a railway siding with a dedicated loading platform. It was built on low-lying ground that required significant drainage work before construction could begin.
The depot handled a wide range of supplies, including food, clothing, vehicles, tools, and engineering materials. It also functioned as a receiving and holding centre for items arriving under the Lend-Lease programme. Goods arriving at Brisbane’s wharves were brought to Meeandah by road or rail, sorted and stored, and then dispatched to forward areas such as New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and, later, the Philippines.
Camp Meeandah operated in close coordination with other depots in the Brisbane area, particularly those at Banyo and Brett’s Wharf, forming a tightly organised distribution network. The site was part of a broader American logistical system that made Brisbane one of the most important rear-area supply centres in the Southwest Pacific theatre.
A multinational footprint
While the camp was primarily operated by the United States Army, it was also used by Allied forces in various ways. Among the many smaller facilities on the site were two small Dutch warehouses (nos 33 and 34), which were part of the logistical operations of the Netherlands East Indie Government-in-Exile at Camp Columbia, Australia. It had a good transport facility to deliver supplies by rail to Camp Columbia (Wacol station). These buildings were minor in scale but reflected the shared Allied use of infrastructure throughout the war.
Post-war use and British presence
After the withdrawal of American forces in 1945, the camp briefly hosted British personnel. The Royal Navy’s Mobile Naval Air Base VII (MONAB VII) was stationed at Meeandah following their arrival in Australia in July 1945. This transitional period marked the final chapter in the site’s military use.
Though few traces of the wartime depot remain today, the site of Camp Meeandah stands as a reminder of the immense logistical effort that underpinned Allied operations in the Pacific—and of Brisbane’s vital role in that achievement.
Map and pictures with thanks to Peter Dunn
