153RD STATION HOSPITAL
BASE SECTION 3
INITIALLY AT GATTON THEN
AT SOUTHPORT, GOLD COAST, QLD
DURING WW2

visits since 9 February 2003

The 153rd Station Hospital arrived in Queensland in 1942 and took over, with one day's notice, the Gatton Agricultural College near Gatton west of Brisbane. The 105th Station Hospital later occupied Gatton College. In the three years that these two hospitals occupied Gatton College, more than 19,000 wounded servicemen passed through the the college. Some 3,000 doctors, nurses and other administrative personnel served in the hospitals based at Gatton.

In May 1944, Lt. Colonel J.H. Marshall was the Commanding Officer of the 153rd Station Hospital of Base Section 3 which by then was located at the The Southport School, at Southport on the Gold Coast in southern Queensland.

Some of the units located at the hospital in May 1944 were:-

• Dental Clinic and Dental Laboratory
• Surgical Service
• EENT Clinic
• Neuropsychiatric Unit
• G. U. Service
• Physiotherapy

Helen Hoffman was a nurse with the 153rd Station Hospital at The Southport Boys School. It was here that Helen met her future husband Mark Muller who was a signals officer at Base Section 3 Headquarters, at Somerville House Girls School in Brisbane. Helen Muller (nee Hoffman) passed away on 7 July 2004.

The Southport School (TSS) on the beautiful Gold Coast.
Surfers Paradise can be seen in the background.

There used to be some old long low buildings in the area at the middle right of the photo

The main building (clock tower building) and wooden classroom block were used for the hospital. The Australian Civil Construction Corps constructed on the western side three long single story ward buildings, annex to gymnasium and a large garage. Several tents were also erected on the front lawn. The garage at the school was used as a theatre but was eventually demolished for building works a few years ago. 

Some of the buildings were sold for removal at the end of the war. During war rationing, you could buy almost anything from their PX.  One of the shed's that was sold was moved to Kret's cordial factory in Southport. During this operation one person was killed when he fell from the roof of the building.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Bill Bentson for his assistance with this home page.

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 9 February 2003

This page last updated 02 September 2004