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Aitkenvale Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941, Australia’s focus in the war turned to the Pacific. After the raid on Darwin in February 1942, many felt that as Townsville was the second largest city in Queensland, it could possibly be the next to experience a large scale raid by the Japanese. Townsville was already designated as a staging point, with a significant US buildup underway and the best Port facilities in North Queensland.

Place information

Location

7 and 9 Bartlett Avenue

Mundingburra, QLD 4812

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Place type

Fortifications

History

Due to Townsville’s distance from the front line, it could not be raided by land-based bombers that had added to the devastation in Darwin. Any air raid would be restricted to aircraft carriers or long range flying boats. Between March and July the Japanese conducted regular reconnaissance missions over Townsville using long range aircraft.

In mid 1942 the Commonwealth Government requisitioned an area of land for an Anti-Aircraft (A/A) battery at Bartlett Avenue in the community of Aitkenvale.

A 1942 memo stated that work at a Charters Towers A/A battery site had been abandoned for strategic reasons and that eight guns were...

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