1 Australian Personnel Staging Camp, Tennyson, Brisbane, Queensland, during WW2

1 AUSTRALIAN PERSONNEL STAGING CAMP
TENNYSON, BRISBANE, QLD
DURING WW2

Very little is known about 1 Australian Staging Personnel Camp at Tennyson. A "Tennyson Power Station Site Land Use Planning Study" report by Jane Lennon and Associates indicated that:-

"The site at Tennyson was chosen in 1945 by a Mr. Quinn, the former manager of the Tennyson and Power House Department of the council. Part of the site had been uses as a staging camp during World War II, while another part had been the site of the house Hayslope in the late nineteenth century"

The old house "Hayslope", which was owned by Thomas Martin was acquired by the Brisbane City Council in 1947 and was demolished and construction of the Tennyson Power Station started in 1950.

A Plan dated 25 February 1944 in the National Archives of Australia shows a Sewerage Treatment Layout for 1 Australian Staging Camp at Tennyson. These works are located in the area near the club building for the Brisbane Golf Club on Tennyson Memorial Avenue. This may have been know as the Yeerongpilly Golf Links during WWII.

Photo:- BCC Aerial Photography

1946 Aerial photo of 1 Australian Personnel Staging Camp

Photo:- BCC Aerial Photography

Zooming out on the above location reveals another cam across the other side
of Tennyson Memorial Drive nearer the Brisbane River. Not clear to
me at this time if this was also part of 1 Australian Staging Personnel Camp

Photo:- BCC Aerial Photography

Closeup of the Camp area near the river. This later became the site for the
Tennyson Power Station and then later the site of the Tennyson Tennis Centre

State Library of Queensland - Image number: 110614

This cropped 1946 photo shows the area shown on the NAA plan. That is
Tennyson Memorial Drive heading towards top left of the photo. Note what
looks like tents or small masonite huts at the far right of the photograph.

State Library of Queensland - Image number: 47508

"Hayslopes" in Approximately 1945

73 Anti-aircraft Searchlight Company (73 AASL) arrived in Brisbane on 8 November 1942 and moved to Camp Ascot before moving to Yeerongpilly or Tennyson on the bank of the Brisbane River on 13 November 1942. There were 5 officers and 127 Other Ranks. This was probably 1 Australian Personnel Staging Camp at Tennyson.

The Animal Research Institute land adjacent to the previous Tennyson Power Station may also have been used by the military during WW2. It started off as the Stock Experiment Station in 1909. It changed its name to the Animal Health Station in 1932 and then became the Animal Research Institute. The facility was closed during WW2. The site became the Animal Research Institute in 1953.

State Library of Queensland
Image number: 156891