The jungles and rugged mountains of New Guinea became a grueling battleground during World War II, witnessing some of the most arduous and harrowing combat faced by Allied forces. Far from the spotlight of Europe, the New Guinea Campaign was a protracted struggle against a tenacious Japanese enemy and the unforgiving tropical environment. At the […]
Brisbane: Strategic Heart of the Brutal New Guinea Campaign Read More »
The Digulists This story is about the Digulists – prisoners of war who were captured after the Indonesian uprising of 1926/27. These political prisoners were transported to a specially established concentration camp in Tanah Merah on the Digul River in Dutch New Guinea. By the start of WWII, a large number of these political prisoners
The Digulists who brought a Gamelan with them to Australia Read More »
This story is written by Maria Douwes and published in her book: Back to Australia The Douwes family was one of the last families to move from Amsterdam to Australia for a hundred guilders. Both the Australian and Dutch governments sponsored this trip. On December 9, 1960, Maria Douwes emigrated to Australia with her parents, five brothers and
Dutch migrant family Douwes settles from Wacol in Inala, Brisbane – 1961 Read More »
General Douglas MacArthur stands among the most prominent and controversial military figures in American history. His career, spanning both World Wars and the Korean War, was marked by extraordinary tactical genius, political theatre, and a polarising personality that drew both admiration and disdain. Early brilliance and World War I heroism Born in 1880 to a
General Douglas MacArthur – General SWAPA commander in Brisbane 1942-1944 Read More »
It may be striking to contemplate Brisbane’s origins as a prison colony. The history we delve into pertains to Camp Columbia in Wacol, and there is a link back to the beginnings of the City. As its military facilities gradually disappeared, the vast terrain once utilised by Camp Columbia found new purposes. Presently, the area
From Camp Columbia HQ to Brisbane Correctional Centre Read More »
Gunther Bonnin form Oregon in the USA was stationed as an intelligent officer in Brisbane during WWII. In this capacity he was commissioned to the Netherlands Forces Intelligence Service (NEFIS). He apparently wrote a paper on Sukarno as part of his intelligence work. He was probably also a translator. After the war Gunther married in
Lieutenant General Simon Hendrik Spoor was born on December 12, 1902, in the Netherlands, Spoor’s military career spanned several critical periods, from the war in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) to his contributions during World War II in Australia and his involvement with the Netherlands Forces Intelligence Service (NEFIS). Spoor’s military journey began in the
For his extraordinary courage and perseverance, Kokkelink was knighted at Camp Columbia in Brisbane on April 12, 1945. His commendation highlighted his decisive actions, perseverance, and skill during the Japanese occupation, emphasising the “indescribable difficulties and hardships” he faced. Mauritz Christiaan Kokkelink, born on June 17, 1913, at the military fort Willem I in Ambarawa,
Mauritz Kokkelink – Award ceremony at Camp Columbia Read More »
In late August 1942, a little-known bay at the eastern tip of New Guinea erupted into a fierce battle that would mark a turning point in the Pacific War. The remote Milne Bay became the stage for a decisive Allied victory, orchestrated from the unlikely command center of Brisbane, Australia, and bolstered by the crucial
Brisbane’s Blueprint for Victory: The Strategic Planning Behind the Battle of Milne Bay Read More »
The U.S. 7th Fleet holds a significant place in history, particularly during World War II. Established on March 15, 1943, in Brisbane, Australia, it was a crucial component of the Allied forces in the Pacific theater. Under the leadership of Admiral Arthur S. “Chips” Carpender, the fleet played a pivotal role in the South West
US Seventh Fleet established in Brisbane Read More »
The long Dutch relationship with Southeast Brisbane began during World War II, when in 1942 the Americans established Camp Columbia in Wacol, Brisbane to stop the Japanese advance in the Southwest Pacific. The camp became the staging ground for the American campaign, covering an area of 20 by 15 square kilometers, covering most of the current suburbs
The long Dutch relationship with the Southern and Southeast suburbs of Brisbane. Read More »
Photograph from the US National Archives: Original Caption: “While awaiting assignment after arriving in Australia, first Negro nurses to reach these shores try bicycle riding near their quarters in Camp Columbia, Wacol, Brisbane. Left to Right: 2nd Lt. Beulah Baldwin (Cleveland, Ohio), 2nd Lt. Alberta S. Smith (Kansas City, MO), and 2nd Lt. Joan S. Hamilton
African American Nurse Officers at Camp Columbia, 1943 Read More »
Hans and (Luberta) Beppe Goote migrated from Indonesia to Australia in 1956 after Indonesia nationalised all Dutch assets. The Goote family worked on a Dutch-owned tea plantation in Indonesia. They had the following children: Henny, Meika, Josje, Hans (jnr) and Conny. That is oldest to youngest. Hans (snr), Beppe and Henny have all passed away
Beppe Goote – ‘Dutch Mayor’ at Wacol, Brisbane Read More »
At Camp Columbia and the surrounding military facilities, two groups of women were employed. Firstly, there were the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), comprised initially of American women, later supplemented by Dutch recruits. The primary duties of the WACs encompassed a range of administrative, technical, and communication tasks, effectively freeing men for combat roles. Their responsibilities
The Women of Camp Columbia Read More »
Several of the details below are coming from the books World War II stories from Brisbane’s South West and 150 Years Richlands, Inala & Neigbouring Suburbs in Brisbane’s South West both by Vicki Mynott. Receptively in 2006 and 2009 she published stories from locals who provided some of the information in this chapter that I have –
WWII Military facilities in South West Brisbane Read More »
Camp Columbia in Brisbane was set up by the Americans in 1942 as a staging camp for the liberation of the Southwest Pacific. When the Americans moved on to Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea in 1944, the Dutch took over Camp Columbia. It was used by the Netherlands East Indies Government in Exile as their
Camp Columbia and the Indonesian story Read More »
By 1946, most Dutch troops had left Camp Columbia. Ammunition and equipment were either dumped at sea or buried at some isolated spot. The quarry at Acacia Ridge was a convenient dump, and Willawong, also, received its share of disposals. Some army huts and buildings at Camp Columbia were left on site, and these were
From Camp Columbia to Wacol Army Camp later Sanananda Barracks Read More »
The Proposed Industrial Garden City in Darra, initially presented at the Second Australian Town Planning Conference in Brisbane in 1918 by Dr. Thomas Arthur Price, the Mayor of Toowoomba, showcased a visionary urban development plan. Inspired by the Garden City Movement and citing the First Industrial Garden City in Letchworth in England, the proposal aimed
Proposed Industrial Garden City in Darra – 1918 Read More »
Coosje Ayal, also known as Costavina Aya Ayal, left an indelible mark as a formidable resistance fighter in Western New Guinea during World War II. Born on 15 April 1926, in the village of Titawaai on the island of Nusa Laut in the Moluccas, her early life took a significant turn when, at the age
Coosje Ayal’s resilience and legacy in wartime Western New Guinea, rescued to Brisbane Read More »
MORE than 5000 Dutch soldiers will migrate to Australia soon after demobilization in Java. Their entry will be under a mutual agreement between the two countries, to be concluded soon. It is understood that the Australian Government stipulated in the agreement that the men should be single and under 30. The Government’s objective is to
Plan to settle 5000 Dutch soldiers in Australian 1949 Read More »
