During World War II, Brisbane was home to the Advanced Land Headquarters (Adv LHQ) of the South West Pacific Area, established at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus in August 1942. The headquarters operated from the unfinished Forgan Smith and Chemistry buildings, which were repurposed for military planning and operations.
Adv LHQ was led by General Sir Thomas Blamey, who served as both Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Military Forces and Commander of Allied Land Forces under General Douglas MacArthur. The headquarters was responsible for coordinating major Allied land campaigns in the Pacific, including in Papua and New Guinea.
The command remained active in Brisbane until December 1944, when it relocated to Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea. The buildings at St Lucia later returned to university use, but their wartime role remains a significant chapter in Brisbane’s military history.