COMMONWEALTH HOUSING TRUST HOSTEL
50 BRISBANE STREET, BULIMBA, QLD
LATER KNOWN AS THE BULIMBA HOSTEL, 
DURING WW2

visits since 26 December 2006

Probably the largest project that took place in the Bulimba area was the building of the Cairncross Dry Dock. In early 1943 workmen began digging test holes to establish the type of material that they had to remove. When the project received the go-ahead, workmen came from everywhere. 

On the corner of Thynne and Lytton Roads, the Civil Construction Corps had a large camp where George Pickers had his showroom. The war workers required for the construction of the dry dock totalled nearly one thousand men. The CCC built about twenty dormitory blocks in Coutts Street, Bulimba for the main work force at the Cairncross Dry Dock. After the war these buildings became known as the Bulimba Hostel and provided cheap accommodation for low wage earners. All the original buildings were demolished in the early 1970's and The Clem Jones Home was built on the site.

In December 2005, there were still some residents in The Clem Jones Home at 50 Brisbane Street, Bulimba, who had lived at the Bulimba Hostel after the war. The Clem Jones Home may be undergoing a major rebuild program in the next few years.

The following files are available in the Australian National Archives:-

Title: Bulimba - hostel area
Series number: J1108 
Control symbol: SB53/2 
Contents date range: circa 1940 - circa 1980
Access status: Open with exception 
Location: Brisbane 
Barcode no: 892089

Title: -Australian Valuation Office - reports and valuations on Bulimba Hostel and
accommodation for Rheems project [including Hotel financial statements]
Series number: J1519 
Control symbol: SP 72 
Contents date range: 1944 - 1978
Access status: Not yet examined 
Location: Brisbane 
Barcode no: 5072819

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Catherine Beverly,  Manager of Care Services at The Clem Jones Home, for her assistance with this home page.

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 26 December 2006

This page last updated 26 December 2005