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US Radio Receiving Station
Cotton’s Farm, Capalaba, Radio Communications site, US Army Signal Corps
In July 1942 General MacArthur moved his General Headquarters for the South West Pacific Area (GHQ SWPA) to the AMP building in Queen Street, Brisbane. MacArthur kept in contact with the United States and Washington DC via shortwave radio, with a transmitting station at 180 Youngs Road, Hemmant (still extant) and a receiving station 9km to the southeast, near Capalaba.
The US Army Signal Corps established the Capalaba radio station to the west of Old Cleveland East Road, south of Uhlman Road, on land owned by the Cotton family. A Wilcox receiver was used, and teletype equipment was also installed at the site. Messages were relayed by teletype link to GHQ SWPA.
The rectangular brick receiving building still exists, having been used by the Postmaster-General’s Department (PMG) after the war, the Commonwealth acquiring the land in 1948. The site is still owned by the Commonwealth as an Air Navigation Station.
Place information
Location
Place type
Radar/signal station
History
The former United States Radio Receiving Station was initially equipped June-September 1942, and was connected by private telephone lines to the Signal Office, Base Section 3, Somerville House, South Brisbane.
The rhombic antennas at the radio receiving station at Birkdale (then called Capalaba) allowed General MacArthur to receive messages from Washington DC, on the Army Command and Administrative Network (ACAN). There was an associated radio transmitting station at the Redland Bay Golf Course. If Somerville House was damaged by enemy action, the transmitter at Redland Bay could be worked from the receiving station at Birkdale.
There was also a US radio transmitting...
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