CAMP WHINSTANES
BRISBANE, QLD
DURING WW2

visits since 6 September 2004

The US Army established Camp Whinstanes just off Eagle Farm Road (now Kingsford Smith Drive), Whinstanes (now Hamilton) in Brisbane, Queensland during WWII. It was located between College Street and Alison Street, Whinstanes. There may have been a Motor Pool located at the site as well.

Photo: - via Bill Bentson

The entrance to Camp Whinstanes

The land that the Americans established their camp on was a Catholic Boys Boarding College possibly known as Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Convent Whinstanes or Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College for Boys Whinstanes (O.L.S.H. Whinstanes). It was run by the Roman Catholic Sacred Heart Sisters who had purchased the original Whinstanes property in 1925 after the death of Mr. A.B. Webster who had purchased and built the magnificent house called Whinstanes in the 1880's.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College for Boys at Whinstanes was ordered closed due to its closeness to some petrol storage areas near the Brisbane River. The College was run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The students were evacuated to two rented properties in Toowoomba. "Maranoa" a former guest house was used as accommodation and "Sonnenberg" a nearby house, was used as classrooms. In late 1942, the school was relocated to "Lyndon" which was a few blocks away. After the war the sisters stayed permanently in Toowoomba and the school at Whinstanes was sold to the Augustinian Fathers.

Prisoners were apparently held temporarily at Camp Whinstanes during WWII. I assume these may have been American prisoners as there was a Prison Stockade established nearby on Eagle Farm Road which became known as Camp La Fayette.

Photo:- State Library of Queensland Negative No:- 74356

"Whinstanes" original residence of Mr. A.B. Webster in 1931

Photo:- State Library of Queensland Negative No:- 168730

The original Whinstanes homestead

The Boarding School was bounded by College St., Eagle Farm Rd, Alison St. and Hilda St. The school was vacated as the buildings were required by the Americans.

After the war the property was sold to the Augustinian Fathers who then conducted Villanova College on the site from 1948 until 1953 when it moved to its new location at Coorparoo. The Augustinian Fathers then sold the property to a developer who demolished the buildings including the magnificent original Whinstanes residence and erected factories.

June Greaves and her twin sister were 8 years old when the Americans arrived in Brisbane 1942. They lived on the corner of Alison Street and Hilda Street, Whinstanes (eastern side of Alison St). June told me on the 25 September 2010 that she remembers the Americans giving lollies to her and her sister.

Photo:- Via June Greaves

June Greaves standing on the front verandah of their house in Alison Street

Camp Whinstanes at Eagle Farm, Brisbane can be seen at the lower left to centre of the above photo

Camp Whinstanes is located near lower left of centre of the above 1944 photograph

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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

I'd also like to thank June Greaves for her assistance with this web page.

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 6 September 2004

This page last updated 25 October 2010