The RAAF constructed a W/T Station on Block No. 182 (approx 79 acres) on Yass Road near Gungahlin in the Australian Capital Territory ACT north of Canberra during WWII. The site was formerly owned by Dr. J. F. Watson, and was acquired by the RAAF on 8 March 1940. It is now part of the suburb of Crace. Dr. Watson held a clearance sale at Gungahlin Homestead on Saturday 6 April 1940 to sell his surplus furniture and plant.

RAAF Station Headquarters Canberra was officially established on 1 April 1940.

The Canberra Times, ACT Saturday 30 March 1940

Mr. C. Tobiler of Kingston, ACT was awarded a contract for "the erection of a wireless transmission station at Gungahlin, at a cost of £7,377/11/3; and S. Stacey, of Canberra, electric installation at R.A.A.F. station at a cost of £720."  It is not clear if the electrical work is at Gungahlin or at the RAAF Station in Canberra, possibly the latter.

Approval was granted in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette dated 15 August 1940 to close a road that passed through the RAAF Wireless Transmitting Station at Gungahlin.

One source suggests that from its inception and during the Pacific War the site was a Joint Naval and Air Force establishment. The Royal Australian Navy erected an aerial systems at RAAF W/T Station Gungahlin. Can anyone please confirm that the RAN used Gungahlin as a Wireless Transmitter site during WWII or was it only after the war ended?

Block 182 can be seen above, located just below the CSIRO site and east of
the RAN's Belconnen W/T Station and slightly north west of the racecourse

Transmitter Building and Coupling Hut. Note the blast walls.

Plan NAA via Rohan Goyne

Transmitter Building and Coupling Hut and some of the aerialarray

There is a plan in a file in National Archives of Australia (see below) dated 1942 for a foundation for a 30kW alternator at RAAF W/T Station - Gungahlin.

RAAF W/T Station Gungahlin can be seen towards the bottom of the
 photo east of the road. The CSIRO site is at the top of the photo.

Photo:- Geoscience Australia

The transmitting building, generator building & coupling hut can be
seen at the left with various antennae arrays located in the paddock

Photo:- Geoscience Australia

Closeup of the transmitting building, generator building & coupling hut and a few of the antennas

Photo of the Gungahlin site in February 2022 - nothing left to be seen from the road

Archives ACT

Rural Land and Property Register for RAAF Wireless Station Gungahlin on Block No. 182.

Archives ACT

There is a second shown for RAAF Wireless Station
Gungahlin on Block No. 153. Not sure where this block is located.

NAA Item ID 8294562

Canberra ACT - RAAF W/T Station - Gungahlin - Foundations for 30kw alternator.

Other files in NAA on Gungahlin are as follows:-

In 1996, Marion Stevens (WRAN Number WR5), donated a chair which she had embroidered with a whole stack of information about HMAS Harman’s wartime activities. This included frequencies, call signs, QRU’s, and acknowledgement of the close relationship between the RAN / WRANS and the USN during the War etc. She has also included the names of four stations – Pennant Hills, Gungahlin, Belconnen and Molonglo.

Marion Stevens is shown twice in the DVA World War Two Service records. One record shows Marion Stevens enlisting on 28 April 1941 and the other shows her enlisting on 1 October 1942. One record shows her as a Leading Telegraphist being discharged at HMAS Harman on an unspecified date and the other record shows her being discharged as a Second Officer at HMAS Penguin on 30 September 1955.

In 1996, Marion Stevens (WRAN Number WR5), donated
a chair which now resides in the Wardroom at HMAS Harman