Camp Columbia Heritage Association and its role in the preserving of the key role Brisbane played WWII
Brisbane played a key role in WWII in the theatre of the Southwest Pacific. After the attack on Pearl Harbour, America entered the war and decided to stage their main military camp for the liberation of the Southwest Pacific in Brisbane. General Douglas MacArthur was appointed Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) and established his HQ in Queen Street. In all close to 1 million US soldiers passed through Brisbane, many staying at tent camps in Victoria Park.
The actual military camp – Camp Columbia – was established in Wacol. The military facilities covered an enormous area of approx. 10kms by 5 kms and many suburbs have been built over these facilities after WWII.
While General MacArthur’s HQ has been preserved as a museum, most other facilities – notable Camp Columbia – have been largely forgotten.
With the establishment of the Camp Columbia Heritage Association in 2023 the aim is to change that situation. This will be done through story telling using our website, exhibition, presentations and organising events eg. around the 80th commemoration of the end of World War II in the Pacific in 2025.
Archaeological research conducted at the former site of Camp Columbia by the University of Queensland and funded by the Netherlands Government has brought the site back into the spotlight. There are several remnants of the Camp in bushland at the Pooh Corner Bushland Reserve (a publicly accessible reserve owned by BCC). We therefore concentrated our heritage efforts on this part of the former Camp Columbia.
As the site has international significance for Australia, USA, Netherlands and Indonesia, the plan is to look for international collaboration.
In the longer term the history and heritage of Camp Columbia could be part of a much larger heritage/tourism project linking the various sites together. (MacArthur Building, Camp Columbia, Archerfield Heritage Room, Victoria Park and perhaps interpretation signs through the suburbs that once played such an important role in Brisbane’s WWII history).
The initial focus is on the remnants of Camp Columbia within the Pooh Corner Bushland Reserve. There is an Environment Centre that would be ideal for exhibiting interpretative displays, highlighting the various themes linked to the area. Starting with its Aboriginal History, Early Queensland history (1840s), Refugees centre for people from Netherlands East Indies, WWII and the Wacol Migration Centre.
In the Reserve itself there is already a walking track that can be used, but a few extensions are needed to get closer to the actual facilities and remnants of buildings that are still there. The precinct is split in two by Sandy Creek and an investigation is needed to see how in the future they might be linked and/or kept separate with separate access points. All of this can be staged, based on Council approvals and funds coming available.
Paul Budde
Camp Columbia Heritage Association