ARMY SIGNALS COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE
IN A BUNKER AT ROSENEATH
NEAR TOWNSVILLE
DURING WW2
| visits since 25 February 2002 |
In December 1942, two classrooms of the Stuart State School beside the Stuart Gaol on the outskirts of Townsville were used by the Army as the main Army Signals Communication Centre in north Queensland. Major Noel Vary was the signal master at the Signals Centre for the 6 months that it was located at the school. Another building at the school housed the "Shadow" Exchange. It was fully surrounded by bomb blast protection. The equipment in the Exchange duplicated the main exchange in the Townsville Post Office.
Roseneath Army Signals Bunker
Roseneath Army Signals Bunker. Note the large pipe or tube in the background.
Large pipe or tube in the background on hill behind bunker. What is it?.
Roseneath Army Signals Bunker
The Signals Centre was then relocated to the concrete structure built into the side of the hill adjacent to the Flinders Highway at Roseneath and near its intersection with the road to the summit of Mt. Stuart (now called Tarakan St.). The Signal Centre contained telex, teleprinters, remote control radio, duplex teletype, hand-speed Morse code channels and high-speed Morse code via an overseas radio link. A group of cryptographers were used to transcribe messages into code. Approximately 80, 000 messages per week were handled by the Signals Centre when it was located at the Stuart State School.
Location of Signals Bunker at Roseneath
The Signals Centre's communications network linked up with:-
- the Army's main command centres in Brisbane and Melbourne,
- the Australian AIF units who were camped on the Atherton Tablelands,
- New Guinea via radio links
- Air Force Units in Townsville
- Navy Units in Townsville
The Signals Centre was under constant 24 hour surveillance by Army personnel. The Signals Camp area was located nearby.
Plan of Army Signals Bunker at
Roseneath.
Based on a sketch by G. Will
Today, this bunker is occupied by squatters.
Operational
Line Diagram Sigs 5 Aust Div
Is this bunker at Roseneath the
Signals Office Switchboard
and Operations Room etc for the Sigs 5th Australian Division?
3 Fighter Sector HQ bunker
(is just up here off the map)
Bunkers in the Stuart and
Roseneath areas during WW2
Click on the hyperlinks on the above map to
go to the relevant home page
REFERENCE BOOKS
"Schools at War - Memories of Schooldays
during World War II"
By Greg Logan and Rosemary Mammino
National Archives Australia references to Roseneath are as follows:-
| Roseneath Adv. LHQ. Signals - Site Plan [1/R/57] | |||
| Series number BP378/1 |
Control symbol FOLDER O TO S FOLIO 27 |
Contents date range 1945 - 1945 |
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| Access status Open |
Location Brisbane |
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| Title DWB [Director of Works and Buildings] - Property - Townsville Qld - Roseneath camp - Disposal of surplus assets |
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| Series number A705 |
Control symbol 171/106/501 |
Contents date range 1946 - 1949 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Canberra |
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| Title Department of Army - movement control - Townsville - W/T Station Roseneath - keying lines |
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| Series number MP721/1 |
Control symbol W235/158 |
Contents date range 1944 - 1945 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Melbourne |
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| Title Department of Army - Morse service Townsville - Cairns (Fifth Division Headquarters Roseneath Townsville - 11th Brigade near Cairns) |
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| Series number MP721/1 |
Control symbol W235/66 |
Contents date range 1943 - 1944 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Melbourne |
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| Title Department of Army - Morse service - area signal from Stuart Roseneath- Queensland |
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| Series number MP721/1 |
Control symbol W235/121 |
Contents date range 1943 - 1945 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Melbourne |
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© Peter Dunn 2003 |
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This page first produced 25 February 2002
This page last updated 10 August 2004
AUSTRALIA
@ WAR
