MOUNT GRAVATT U.S. SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY
DURING WW2

visits since 27 May 2001

During WW2, the American Army removed the shelter shed and beacon that were located on top of Mount Gravatt in Brisbane and installed a searchlight battery. Every night fingers of light from the tops of hills around Brisbane would light up the sky.

 Occasionally some practice rounds or star shells would be fired from guns located elsewhere in the Brisbane area. Another source suggested there may have been some anti-aircraft guns also located on Mount Gravatt. I have not been able to confirm that theory.

The searchlights on Mount Gravatt were possibly initially manned by the 94th Coast Artillery (AA) Regiment, 40th Anti-aircraft Brigade. There are no longer any visible signs of the WW2 occupation of the top of Mount Gravatt. None that I could find!

April 2002

The lookout on top of Mount Gravatt looking towards the city

Chris Peters thought that the "Big Gun", the 155mm gun located near the intersection of Logan Road with Kingston Road, used to be one of about 12 anti-aircraft guns positioned on top of Mt Gravatt during the war years. So far I have not been able to confirm whether there were ever any anti-aircraft guns on Mt Gravatt. I believe there were only some searchlights positioned on Mt. Gravatt.

Can anyone confirm which 
Searchlight Battery was located on Mount Gravatt?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I'd like to thank Ray Denning (now deceased), former President of the Mt. Gravatt District Historical Association for his assistance with this home page. I'd also like to thank Chris Peters from Charters Towers for his assistance with this home page. I'd also like to thank Mrs Bainbridge for her assistance with this web page.

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 27 May 2001

This page last updated 11 September 2005