Aboriginal presence, war and the reuse of the Camp Columbia landscape Long before the establishment of Camp Columbia during the Second World War, Aboriginal people lived in and moved through the Wacol–Goodna area for thousands of years. While there are no confirmed archaeological records of permanent campsites or ceremonial grounds on the specific site later […]
In the final months before the Pacific War reached Australia, the Netherlands East Indies emerged as a crucial source of intelligence on Japanese intentions. One of the senior Australian officers directly involved in receiving and assessing this information was Charles Burnett, Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force. Burnett’s role places
When Aboriginal elder Aunty Theresa Williams opened the Camp Columbia WWII Symposium in August 2025, she spoke not only as a Traditional Custodian welcoming participants to Country, but also as someone with a personal connection to Wacol. In her remarks, she recalled that she and her family lived for a period at the Wacol migration
Aunty Theresa Williams and Wacol: Aboriginal oral history from the migration camp Read More »
This document provides a first-hand civilian account of Brisbane’s wartime aviation environment during the Second World War and the immediate post-war years, as experienced at Archerfield Aerodrome. It reflects the strongly international character of Brisbane at the time, shaped by the presence of American, Australian, Dutch, and Netherlands East Indies personnel operating within a shared
Archerfield Memories Read More »
When Allied forces expanded rapidly across the Pacific following the Japanese attacks of December 1941, Australia was transformed almost overnight from a distant imperial outpost into a central rear-area base for a global war. The scale of the challenge was unprecedented. Large numbers of Allied troops, particularly from the United States, began arriving in Australia
Camp Columbia and Base Section 3: Brisbane in the Allied logistics system Read More »
The presence of the 152nd Field Hospital at Camp Columbia highlights an essential but often understated dimension of the site’s wartime role. Alongside command headquarters and signal units, Camp Columbia was also a place of medical care, recovery and endurance during a formative phase of the Pacific War. The 152nd Field Hospital formed part of
The 152nd Field Hospital at Camp Columbia Read More »
Camp Columbia at Wacol was more than a transit and training camp. For a crucial period in early 1943 it functioned as a command site, hosting the headquarters of the U.S. Sixth Army at a decisive moment in the Pacific War. At the centre of this headquarters story was Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, one of
General Walter Krueger And Camp Columbia Read More »
This paper draws on the autobiography of Lt. Mark Twain Muller, a U.S. Army Signal Officer assigned to Base Section 3, to illuminate the operational and Allied significance of Camp Columbia, located west of Brisbane, during the critical early years of the Pacific War. Muller’s first-hand account provides rare insight into the establishment of Camp
Camp Columbia and the U.S. Sixth Army: A Signal Officer’s First-Hand Account Read More »
The following are abstracts from the archives of Bill Bentson that were given to Peter Dunn. We also have a profile on Bill here. This is the information from Bill In a letter addressed to Bill and his wife Joan, Alton Jensen provided the following information on Camp Columbia. Alton Jensen was a sergeant at
Eye witness description of Camp Columbia Read More »
Introduction During the Second World War, women’s military and auxiliary corps became an essential part of the Allied war effort. Across Australia, the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, and the Netherlands East Indies, women served in uniform in a wide range of non-combatant roles that were vital to military effectiveness. Brisbane, and in particular Camp
The Dutch Women Army Corps in Brisbane Read More »
New archival evidence has come to light showing that preparations for a major United States military camp at Wacol were already underway in January 1942, earlier than previously documented. The discovery reinforces the view that the establishment of what later became Camp Columbia was planned from the outset as an American installation, with Australian authorities
Early American camp planning at Wacol uncovered Read More »
This article is based on personal documents, military records and a recorded wartime interview provided by Elva Mary Bennett’s son, Russ Morison, together with supporting Australian and Dutch archival sources. The wartime history of the Bennett–van der Land–Morison family connects Australia, the Netherlands, the Netherlands East Indies, Burma and the Middle East. It is a
Elva Mary Bennett, Gerk van der Land and a family at war Read More »
This article is an English abstract of the two-part Dutch biography of Jack and Truus Hompe, published on IndischHistorisch.nl and based on Louise Hompe’s family chronicle Uitgestelde huwelijksnacht. Their story shows how the Netherlands, Australia and the Netherlands East Indies intersected during the final phase of the Second World War. Early background and wartime separation
When Brisbane became the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur’s South West Pacific Area (SWPA) in 1942, it developed into one of the key Allied centres in the Pacific War. The United States, Australia and the Netherlands East Indies formed the principal military and administrative presence in the city. New Zealand, operating mainly under the separate
New Zealand and Brisbane during the Second World War: a limited intelligence connection Read More »
Wacol is widely recognised today as home to Brisbane’s largest urban population of Eastern Grey Kangaroos. More than a thousand animals roam freely across the bushland and adjoining green corridors, forming one of the most significant kangaroo mobs found so close to the centre of any Australian capital city. Their presence has become one of
Kangaroos in the camp: wildlife encounters at Camp Columbia? Read More »
Between 1942 and 1944, Brisbane hosted one of the most significant concentrations of U.S. military personnel in the Pacific Theatre. Central to this presence was Camp Columbia at Wacol—home to 5,000 troops and headquarters for the U.S. Sixth Army under Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger. From here, key campaigns across New Guinea and the Philippines were
The Americans in Brisbane Read More »
When Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 expanded the war into the Pacific, Brisbane was thrust into the frontline of Allied operations. By 1942, after the bombing of Darwin and growing fears of Japanese invasion, Brisbane became a critical military hub in the South West Pacific. The city transformed rapidly—civilians were evacuated from
Camp Columbia at Wacol played many roles during and after the Second World War. It was the headquarters of the United States Sixth Army, the training site of its Officers School, and by 1945 it had become the seat of the Netherlands East Indies Government-in-Exile. It was also the main centre for the Netherlands Indies
From Camp Columbia to Dutch New Guinea: the journey of Piet Merkelijn Read More »
Even in Brisbane, the global importance of the city’s role during World War II is largely unknown. Yes, most people are aware that large numbers of American troops were stationed here, and many will recall the so-called “Battle of Brisbane”—but for most, that’s the extent of their knowledge of Brisbane’s wartime significance. As I delved
Overlooked outpost: Brisbane and Camp Columbia in American WWII literature Read More »
During the Second World War, the Mount Coot-tha Reserve was transformed into a major United States Navy installation. From 1943 the area was leased by the Americans and developed into the US Naval Magazine and Mine Assembly Depot No. 1 . The 55th U.S. Naval Construction Battalion, better known as the Seabees, built the facilities.
Americans at Mount Coot-tha during World War II Read More »
