Wood, Ronald

University of Queensland eSpace

78 
CIVIL DEFENCE IN QUEENSLAND 
DURING WORLD WAR H 
by Ronald Wood 
Dr Ronald Wood, is Immediate Past-President of the Royal Historical Society of 
Queensland. His historical writings are diverse including ophthalmology, early 
immigration, education and city buildings. 
Australia was under no threat of external attack before World War 
II despite occasional scares last century about Russian invasion. Under 
the Australian constitution, defence was one of the powers ceded to 
the Commonwealth. 
With the possibility of war after Hitler began to rearm Germany 
and reconquer some of its lost territory, the Commonwealth and State 
Governments began to plan for Civil Defence in 1937. As most of 
the functions were already responsibilities of the states, they took over 
the main executive roles with the Commonwealth coordinating. Before 
World War II started on 3 September 1939, each State Government 
had begun planning using its own funds, guided by publications and 
instructions obtained from Britain by the Commonwealth. 
Unlike other states which set up new organisations, in Queensland 
the nucleus was already controlled by the Police Force. E.M. Hanlon, 
Minister for Health and Home Affairs, delegated the power to the 
Commissioner of Police, P.J. Carroll. Queensland Parliament passed 
the Air Raid Wardens' Act in 1939, giving the Pohce Commissioner 
power to appoint Wardens, who could enter any place in the exercise 
of their duty. A central committee was appointed with headquarters 
in Brisbane and local Air Raid Precautions Committees were formed 
in centres throughout the State. The Mayors of Municipalities and 
chairmen of shires and their principal officers constituted the 
committee and with them were associated the local police officer, the 
government medical officer and the fire and ambulance brigades. 
In a letter to Premier Forgan Smith dated 15 May 1939, Hanlon 
outhned Civil Defence Services in Queensland. The Central Air Raid 
Precautions Committee haised with Defence and other government 
departments such as Main Roads and Post and Telegraphs, as well 
as private undertakings. The functions were divided between local 
authorities responsible for essential services such as roads, water 
supply, welfare and safety; the Fire Brigade responsible for fire services 
and rescues from burning buildings; the Police responsible for 
79 
maintaining law and order and controlling evacuations; and the 
Hospital Authority and Ambulance Brigade, responsible for hospital 
and medical services, first aid and ambulance transport. 
Following arrangements adopted in England, A.R.P. posts were 
established in places such as railway stations and schools. By late 1941 
most factories and office buildings had their own organisations, 
although equipment was often scarce. 
In December 1941, after the Japanese Navy bombed Pearl Harbour, 
the Public Service Commissioner, John McCracken, was appointed 
Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Public Safety. Next month 
Sir Raphael Cilento, Director-General of Health and Medical Services, 
was place din control of First Aid, Ambulance, Hospital and Pubhc 
Health Services. Dr D.W Johnson assisted him. 
There were three possible forms of attack — air raids, bombardment 
from the sea, and invasion. Civil Defence was organised mainly against 
air raids. Air raid shelters, mainly of solid concrete, were built in 
various towns by local authorities. In Brisbane many of the footpaths 
were blocked by them, most being along North Quay and Ehzabeth 
Street. As the war receded, some were demolished in 1945. Large water 
pipes were built above ground to bring water from the river in case 
of fire from bombs. 
In a pamphlet on garden trenches, the government stated that each 
house should have one. It pointed out that they offered excellent 
protection, except against direct hits. It recommended the bottom of 
the trench six feet below ground level, and width three feet six inches 
at the bottom, a foot wider at the top. It was to be divided into 
sections, with the shelter ten feet long in which the occupants sat along 
a seat on one side with curtains to cover the entrance. Nearly all 
households had a slit trench, often with corrugated iron covered by 
soil as a
 roof. Most were not as big or as elaborate as recommended 
and many had water in the bottom after rain. We were lucky they 
did not have to be used. 
At the beginning of the 1942 school year, schools were closed in 
the area east of the coastal range from Coolangatta north and 
continuing around the Gulf of Carpentaria to Burketown. School 
attendance in the specified area was optional. 
All window glass in commercial and public buildings was protected, 
particularly those near public thoroughfares. Stick tape and sticky 
gauze were commonly used. 
Hospitals in coastal Queensland prepared for receiving the injured. 
Dr Aubrey Pye, then General Medical Superintendent of the Brisbane 
80 
and South Coast Hospitals' Board recently told me 600 beds were 
set aside for casualties in Brisbane, one third at the only big hospital, 
the Brisbane General Hospital on the north side of the river. Operating 
Theatres on the top Floor G in Block 4 of the General were shifted 
to Floor B in Block 3 to protect them from a direct hit. 
On the south side, the small Mater Public Hospital provided 50 
beds. The Diamentina Hospital for Chronic Diseases in Ipswich Road, 
South Brisbane, was transferred to the control of the Hospital Board, 
the patients evacuated and 150 emergency beds established. The first 
building of the University of Queensland at St. Lucia had been 
completed and the remaining 200 beds were housed in its eastern end. 
As there were no cooking facilities, a kitchen and dining room were 
erected behind the building. When senior Generals moved from 
Brisbane to Melbourne in 1943, Dr Pye reahsed that the emergency 
for Brisbane was over and used many of these beds for civilians. 
The Ambulance Services were trained in Civil Defence and played 
an important role maintaining this. First Aid posts were established 
throughout the populated areas. In Brisbane they were some distance 
from the A.R.P. Centre, to avoid congestion. In the event of air raids, 
casualties would be taken to the local First Aid post and the serious 
ones sent to hospital. I was a fourth-year medical student, hving at 
Annerley. Having been trained in first aid, I was expected to join the 
local First Aid Post. The nearest was in Fairfield Road at Kadumba 
Street, Yeronga underneath the R.S.L. HaU which was on 8 or 9 foot 
stumps. The area under the haU was enclosed with sand bags for the 
Post. A committee chaired by the local school Head Teacher ran it. 
Many people had been trained in First Aid by the St John's 
Ambulance and Red Cross. A number of Red Gross ladies were on 
the staff and the local doctor was the Medical Officer. 
One air raid drill was carried out, on 19 May 1942 which was well 
advertised but the time kept secret. The siren went off at 10am and 
A.R.P. Wardens appeared on streets, vehicles were stopped and First 
Aid Posts manned. 
The Australian Army defeated the Japanese in New Guinea, the 
threat to Australia disappeared and the Civil Defence services were 
never used. This was as well, as they were primitive. This was not the 
fault of the organisers who did their best with what was available. 
Two significant factors stand out; first, that preparations began two 
years before the war; and, second, most of the citizens did unpaid 
and unrecognized voluntary duties after their normal day's work, 
whether at first aid work, making camouflage nets or learning to put 
out fires. 


Civil defence in Queensland during World War 2

http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:206850/s00855804_1993_15_2_78.pdf

Civil defence in Queensland during World War 2

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

University of Queensland eSpace