Category: Queensland State Archives’ Photostream About Fortitude Valley

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Soldier’s Visit to Magnetic Island

Driver Albert Dodds, writing to his father, Mr L. C. Dodds, of “Glen Anne,” Bulga, is enthusiastic about three days spent on Magnetic Island in a rest home run by the Y.M.C.A. and A.C.F. He says it only costs 2/- for a return ticket, and was the most enjoyable time he had spent in his life. Food was served out at tables, there being plenty of fruit, milk and sugar. Girls were also present, so there was plenty of company. A dance was conducted on one night.
The island, Driver Dodds says, grips one. It affords a good rest away from everything. It is very beautiful and just what one would expect a tropical island to be. “There are no dusky maidens in grass skirts leaning against palm trees,” he adds. “The palms are there, but one has to close his eyes

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

New A.I.F. Hostel In Jerusalem

A cable for £4000 has recently been sent by the Australian Comforts Fund, New South Wales Division, to the Chief Commissioner of the Middle East Comforts Fund, Lieut.-Col. Eugene Gorman.
The sum will make possible the establishment of a new leave hostel in Jerusalem, to be run in conjunction with the Australian Soldiers’ Club, already established there.
The new hostel will be conducted by a representative of the Y.M.C.A., and will be housed in a large building just inside the Jaffa gate.
The building was formerly a school conducted by the Greek Orthodox Church authorities.
When completed, the hostel will accommodate 100 men and will be unsurpassed by any other club of its kind in either Africa or Asia.
It will have a reading room, writing room, concert hall, milk bar, canteen, and stalls for the better class merchants to dispose their wares. Though meals will

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

First Men To Use New ‘Leave Home’

The first group of Air Force and Ary men to use the Australian Comforts Fund hostel at Magnetic Island will enter the new “leave home” today.
The men, recently returned from battle stations, are being sent to the hostel to rest.
The hostel was being conducted in conjunction with the Y.M.C.A. and the Army authorities had cooperated generously in the new working arrangements, said the newly appointed A.C.F. Queensland Commissioner (Major H. Hovendene) yesterday. The hostel could accommodate about 200 men.

Description source:
The Courier-Mail, 19 September 1942

View the original image at Queensland State Archives:
Digital Image ID 23900

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

W.A. Girl At Northern Hostel

For some time 1200 Service men and 500 women each month, including many West Australian, have been spending leave periods on Magnetic Island, near Townsville.
Picture shows West Australian Sig. L. N. Buchanan (right) with Sydney Sig. L. E. McDonald after being checked in at the hostel and issued with blankets and sheets.
Island is only four miles off the coast, and the hostel is in ideal surroundings with tennis, swimming and other recreational facilities.
Special shark-proof pool has been built.
Many of the personnel catered for come from distant battle stations and lonely outposts where even amenities made possible by air transport are not always available.
Leave periods are usually of two days and every 48 hours a boat takes more than 100 men and women to the island from Townsville.
The Australian Comforts Fund provided all facilities, pays the rent.
Centre is conducted in conjunction with

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Left to right: Corporal R F Woodward from Melbourne, VIC, Private B G Hard from Innisfail, QLD, Lance-Bombardier C Giddins from Townsville, QLD

Appreciation Of Comforts Fund Work

Warm appreciation of the courtesy and attention extended by the Australian Comforts Fund to troops in North Queensland was expressed today by Corporal R. N. Brady, of South Broken Hill.
He said that on a hot New Year’s Day in Mackay a wonderful New Year’s dinner was given to 12,500 troops who were on the way further north. Everyone, whether early or late, received a wonderful reception.
Afterwards an impromptu concert was given by people of the town. He said that words failed the troops when they tried to express their gratitude.
Along the track small Comforts Fund units were always at hand with tea and refreshments.
At Longreach the Comforts Fund entertained 500 troops in the recently built and very impressive town

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Arcadia Was Popular With Services

Arcadia, Magnetic Island resort, taken over by the Y.M.C.A. and A.C.F. in August, 1942 as a rest home for service personnel, reverted to its owners last weekend.
In three years just on 50,000 – 37,500 men and 10,000 to 12,000 women – members of the services, enjoyed a brief holiday at the popular resort, and in the words of one serviceman, “Never was so much done for so many.”
Though staffed and rationed by the army the home was conducted by the Y.M.C.A. officers, who arranged sports and other amenities for the entertainment of service personnel. No service for the troops anywhere in Australia enjoyed greater popularity than that provided at Arcadia.

Description source:
Townsville Daily Bulletin, 3 October 1945

View the original image at Queensland State Archives:
Digital Image ID 23932

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Gunner Suters to his father at Smithfield, N.S.W.:
“We were out on a march. Had been kept going all day, not much rest, and our packs were pretty heavy.
“I was dead from the waist up, but just kept on walking. There was silence among the group of marching men.
“All of a sudden we stumbled on to a Salvation Army post. They had tea on, and, gosh, we nearly all wept for joy. Never was tea enjoyed so much!
“I seldom drink tea, but, believe me, it was the best tea I have ever tasted. It put new life into us. Talking commenced, spirits rose. The transformation was amazing.
“After profuse thanks we continued on our way. It was a different type of man that left that post.
“The tea, probably, was not the best, sugar was apparently scarce, but to us that drink of tea was a draught of

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Appreciation Of Comforts Fund

With so much recent criticism of the Fighting Forces Comforts Fund a letter received at Adelaide headquarters of the fund from Gunner A. L. Hanson, of the Third Battery, 2nd/2nd Field Regiment is of particular interest, and shows to some extent the splendid work being done for the members of the fighting services.
“The lads much appreciate the work of the fund,” states the letter. “The gifts from the folks at home give us an extra bit of determination to finish the job. The extra cigarettes and tobacco are especially welcomed by the men who have their wives and families drawing on their pay.
…
“The Australian Comforts Fund Rest Room in Tel Aviv was, I guess, the most popular spot in Jerusalem. Any time of the day or evening would find the room crowded with the lads of various units, all smiles, and

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Being the central station for Rockhampton, Archer Park superseded the Stanley Street station not long after its construction. Mail trains to Brisbane departed from Archer Park following completion of the Gladstone-Rockhampton link in 1903. Archer Park was designed as a passenger station and did not handle goods traffic apart from parcels and mail.

The station was also important as the departure and terminating point for services to Mount Morgan, Emu Park and the local suburban services to Lakes Creek at North Rockhampton. Excursions to the seaside at Emu Park and later Yeppoon were also extremely popular.

The Stanley Street station was enlarged in 1923 to cater for longer trains, and two 600 foot long platforms were provided. The station was further enlarged between 1924 and 1928, making it the major station in Rockhampton. The long-distance mail and passenger trains all departed from the Stanley Street station leaving

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Archer Park Railway Station, the former Rockhampton Central Railway Station, is situated on Denison Street and forms an important link with the social, cultural and transport history of Rockhampton and central Queensland.

It was the major railway station in Rockhampton from the turn of the century until the mid-1920’s and is an important element in the development of the railway network in Queensland, and the growth of the North Coast Railway in the early part of the twentieth century.

The railway station consists of a main station building which has a railway platform to the southwest and a verandah entrance to the northeast. Both the platform and tracks are covered by a steel framed carriage shade which runs the full length of the station.

Description source:
Queensland Heritage Register

View the original image at Queensland State Archives:
Digital Image ID 27099

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