United States (US) Army 12th Station Hospital

Private residences

In early 1942, the gravity of the war situation and the scarcity of building materials meant that civilian homes could be requisitioned under Commonwealth Security regulations by the military forces.

On 18 March 1942, personnel from US 12th Station Hospital unit (250 beds) arrived in Townsville by rail from Brisbane and were initially camped at Armstrong’s Paddock.

Officers soon chose Chapman Street in nearby Mysterton to be the location of Townsville’s first US Military hospital. These fashionable and high quality homes of the early 1930s were requisitioned and the owners given notice to leave. Many chose to evacuate south due to the likelihood of air raids or invasion.

Place information

Location

1-33 Chapman Street

Mysterton, QLD 4812

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Place type

Medical facility

History

In all 33 private homes were taken over. Alterations were made to the dwellings and tents were placed in the yards to increase bed capacity with patients first admitted on 29 March 1942. Many houses were then transformed into 'wards' and connected by raised walkways. Others became a mess hall, a recreation hut for patients, movie theatre, Officers quarters, bakery, barber and a branch post exchange.

In addition to acute medical or surgical class patients, Officers, nurses and psychiatric patients were also treated here.

In late 1942 services began to vacate the houses and into on-site prefabricated buildings on which further increased...

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