Newstead Air Raid Shelter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newstead Air Raid Shelter |
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Air raid shelters in Wickham Park
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| Location | Commercial Road, Teneriffe, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1939 - 1945 (World War II) |
| Built | c. 1942 |
| Built for | Brisbane City Council |
| Architect | Frank Gibson Costello |
| Owner | Brisbane City Council |
| Official name: Newstead Air Raid Shelter | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 6 April 2005 |
| Reference no. | 602483 |
| Significant period | 1942 (fabric) 1940s (historical) |
| Builders | Brisbane City Council |
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The Newstead Air Raid Shelter is a special old building in Teneriffe, Queensland. It was built around 1942 by the Brisbane City Council to protect people during World War II. A clever architect named Frank Gibson Costello designed it. Today, it is protected as a heritage site because of its important history.
Contents
Why Air Raid Shelters Were Needed
World War II Comes to Australia
On December 7, 1941, the United States joined World War II after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This made the war truly global. Soon after, Japanese planes bombed Darwin in Australia in February 1942. Many Australian soldiers were also captured when Singapore fell.
Australia quickly started preparing for a possible Japanese invasion. Queensland became a key support base for the war in the Pacific. Many Australian and American soldiers came to Queensland, and the population of Brisbane grew a lot. Brisbane was a very important city for the military, with headquarters and supply centers. General Douglas MacArthur, a top Allied commander, was based in Brisbane. Because of its importance, Brisbane was a likely target for bombing. People needed protection fast.
Building Protection for People
The Brisbane City Council was in charge of protecting people from air raids. They set up air raid wardens and firefighting systems. They also built many air raid shelters. On Christmas Eve 1941, the government told everyone to start building shelters. Simple trenches were dug in parks and schoolyards.
The Brisbane City Council was ordered to build 200 public shelters in the city. They started building quickly, and by June 1942, most were finished. They also built long covered trenches in public parks, like the Botanic Gardens. These shelters were meant to hold many people safely. The Council also built shelters at important places like wharves and under the Story Bridge.
Other towns along Queensland's coast also had to build shelters. These shelters were designed to be strong enough to withstand a large bomb exploding nearby. Building all these shelters was a huge effort across the state.
Clever Design for the Future
Frank Gibson Costello's Idea
Of the many shelters built in Brisbane, 21 still exist today. Most of these were designed by Frank Gibson Costello, the Brisbane City Council's main architect from 1941 to 1952. Costello had a smart idea: he wanted to design shelters that could be used for something else after the war. He didn't want them to just be useless concrete blocks.
Costello's designs were modern for their time. He used simple shapes and strong materials like concrete. He also tried to place the shelters under fig trees to help hide them from enemy planes.
Different Types of Reusable Shelters
Costello designed a few types of shelters that could be changed after the war:
- "Park" Type Shelters: These shelters had four central pillars holding up the roof. This meant that the four outer walls, which protected people from bombs, could be removed later. Once the walls were gone, the shelter could become a simple shade structure in a park. About 17 of these "park" type shelters still exist today. Many are used as park shelters, but some have been changed into things like toilet blocks or bus stops.
- "Bus" Type Shelters: These shelters were designed so that three of their brick walls could be removed after the war. This would leave a concrete back wall and five brick pillars at the front, making them perfect for bus stops. Only two of these "bus" type shelters still survive, one of them being the Newstead shelter.
- "Bus (Stone)" Type Shelters: This was another "bus" type design, but it used a stone back wall and six stone pillars. Only one of these special stone shelters still exists today.
After the War Ended
When World War Two finished, most of the wartime buildings in Brisbane were taken down. The temporary water pipes, trenches, and sirens disappeared. Many of the standard air raid shelters that stood in the middle of streets were also removed.
However, Frank Gibson Costello's clever reusable shelters survived. Because their blast walls could be removed, they found new uses. The Newstead Air Raid Shelter had its front blast wall removed, just as planned. You can still see where the wall used to be. It now has added brick pillars, seating, and lights.
What the Newstead Shelter Looks Like
The Newstead air raid shelter is a rectangular building made of concrete. It has a strong floor, a thick back wall, and side walls. The roof is flat. Today, it has five brick pillars at the front. The back wall still has its original seven metal vents. There are two seats along the back wall. The roof and back wall are painted off-white, and there are lights on the ceiling. You can still see where the two entrances used to be. The shelter stands on the footpath at the end of Commercial Road.
Why This Shelter is Important
The Newstead Air Raid Shelter is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it is a very important part of Queensland's history.
- A Glimpse into History: This shelter shows us how Brisbane prepared for war during World War Two. It reminds us of the efforts made to protect people from air raids.
- A Rare Survivor: Many air raid shelters were built during the war, but only a few are left. This makes the Newstead shelter a rare example of wartime buildings in Brisbane.
- A Typical Example: Its strong build, rectangular shape, and location near people show what a public air raid shelter in Brisbane was like during the war.
- Clever Design: The shelter is now used as a bus stop, which was part of its original design! It's a great example of smart design and how concrete was used during World War Two.
- Connected to a Key Person: This shelter is an important example of the work done by the City Architect's Office during the war, especially the clever designs of F.G. Costello.
