U.S. ARMY 42ND GENERAL HOSPITAL
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2

visits since 26 May 2001

The US Army 42nd General Hospital unit took over Stuartholme girls school in Brisbane to establish a hospital. They also took another 20 acres of adjoining land to build administration quarters 

The girls at Stuartholme in Brisbane were evacuated from their school to a small country hotel at Canungra near the bottom of Mount Tamborine. The hotel bar was turned into a study room. The Stuartholme girls were relocated to the Grand Hotel, at Southport when the Americans established Camp Cable in the Mount Tamborine area. The girls remained at the Grand Hotel until the end of 1944. 

Stuartholme convent and school were returned to the sisters in reasonably good condition with a number of enhancements, including some additional buildings and a lift that had been installed to carry hospital stretchers.

Photo: via Bill Bentson

42nd General Hospital at Stuartholme during WW2

"Photo courtesy of Stuartholme School"

Stuartholme during WW2

"Photo courtesy of Stuartholme School"

Stuartholme during WW2

The 3rd. Portable Surgical Hospital, which had been based in the Iron Range area, boarded the SS Wandana, an Australian tramp steamer, at Portland Roads on 19 November 1943 and disembarked at Brisbane on 29 November 1943. In Brisbane they were attached to the 42nd General Hospital. They immediately began to re-equip the organization. Physical examinations were done on all personnel. A training program was set up and followed. Leaves were granted for all personnel and the T/O has been brought up to nearly full strength with the assignment of one officer and six enlisted men. At that time they were prepared and awaiting further combat duty.

The US Army established the 3,000 bed Holland Park Hospital on a 100 acre paddock at Logan Road at Holland Park. About 300 men were involved in its construction. It took its first patients in about June 1943 when the 42nd General Hospital moved out of Stuartholme on Mount Coot-tha.

Holland Park Hospital

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I'd like to thank Ray Denning (new deceased), former President of the Mt. Gravatt District Historical Association for his assistance with this home page.

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 26 May 2001

This page last updated 14 October 2006