RAAF Base Amberley heritage structures facts for kids

Quick facts for kids RAAF Base Amberley heritage structures
Aerial view of RAAF Base Amberley, March 1941
Location	RAAF Base Amberley at Southern Amberley Road, Amberley, Queensland, Australia
Commonwealth Heritage List
Official name: Amberley RAAF Base Group
Type	Listed place (Historic)
Designated	22 June 2004
Reference no.	105650
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The RAAF Base Amberley heritage structures are a group of important old buildings at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, Australia. These buildings are like a living history book, showing how the base has changed over many years. They were officially added to the Commonwealth Heritage List on June 22, 2004. This means they are protected because they are very important to Australia's history.

Exploring the History of RAAF Amberley

RAAF Base Amberley has a long and interesting past. It started as farmland and grew into a vital military base. Many of its buildings tell stories from different times in history.

Early Days: Before 1938

Before it became a big air force base, the land around Amberley was mostly used for farming. There was even a small school here. You can still see the original two-room school building and the headmaster's house. These buildings are now part of the base's training area. A large camphor laurel tree stands near the old school, a reminder of those early days.

The headmaster's house is a single-storey building with a corrugated iron roof. It has a nice front veranda. The school building is also single-storey with a steep roof. It has many windows that let in lots of light.

Building Up: Before World War Two (1938–1939)

Many of the first important buildings at Amberley were designed just before World War II began in September 1939. These buildings were made from strong brick, showing they were meant to last. They are different from the buildings built quickly during the war.

The main part of the base was designed in a special diamond shape. At one end was the main office for the Commanding Officer. At the other end was the hospital. In the middle was a parade ground, which is now a car park. This careful design shows how important planning was for the base.

Command Headquarters (Building 65)

This building was built between 1939 and 1940. It was the main office for the base's senior leaders. It's a single-storey building with a unique design. Inside, it has five different levels, but only the ground floor takes up the whole space. The upper levels were used for things like plotting maps or even as a projection room for training. This building helped train aircrews, especially bomb aimers.

Hangar 76: A Grand Entrance

Built in 1940, Hangar 76 was one of the first large buildings on the airstrip side. It was designed to be very strong and permanent. The entrance is made of beautiful brickwork and glass, so grand that people said it looked like a hotel! This hangar has a special "saw-tooth roof" design, common for workshops in the late 1930s. It was based on British RAF designs. The base's first control tower was once located at the front of this hangar.

The Guardhouse (Building 21)

The Guardhouse is a two-storey brick building at the old entrance to the base. It has a strong, permanent look, typical of buildings from before World War II. It features red bricks with lighter bricks mixed in. Inside, it once had garage space and two guardhouse cells, which are still there today. The upper floor likely held offices. This building helped control who came and went from the base.

Wartime Expansion: World War Two (1939–1945)

During World War II, Amberley grew a lot. Many new buildings were added to support the war effort.

Base Medical Flight (Buildings 61 and 243)

By 1943, the hospital and wards were built. They completed the planned layout around the parade ground. The hospital building is made of brick and has an "Art Deco" style, which was popular at the time. This style includes special brick patterns and windows with horizontal bars. Inside, it had operating rooms and wards for patients.

Air Base Support (Building 240)

This single-storey timber building was built by 1943. It was originally used as a parachute hanging room. It's one of the few remaining buildings of its kind in the headquarters area.

Bellman Hangars: Ready to Move

The Bellman Hangars are a very important part of Amberley's wartime history. There are 13 of these hangars, arranged in two rows. They were designed to be taken apart and moved easily. This was very useful during the war. Even though some parts have been updated, they still look much like they did during World War II. They were key for maintaining and repairing aircraft.

There is also a special underground building (AP1-1) that was used for operations. It was built away from the main base because of the swampy ground. This building was shared by both American and Australian forces.

Other Important Wartime Buildings

Many other buildings were put up by 1943. These included a cinema, a mess hall for airmen, and another for sergeants. There was also a building for storing flammable liquids and an emergency power plant. The cinema (Building 60) and the Airmen's Mess (Building 42) are large timber buildings. They show how many people lived and worked at the base during the war. The emergency power plant (Building 20) was crucial for keeping the base running.

After the War: 1946–1968

After World War II, Amberley continued to be an important base. Some structures from this period are still around.

Safety Equipment Building (Building 467)

Built in 1954–55, this timber building was used for drying and packing parachutes. It shows how important air safety was at the base.

Riley-Newsum Cottages

These prefabricated timber houses were brought from the United Kingdom in the 1950s. They were needed because there was a shortage of building materials and workers after the war. These cottages helped house people working at the base.

Cartridge Stores

Two starter cartridge stores (Building 763) were built in the 1960s. They were used for Canberra bombers involved in testing.

Some buildings also show Amberley's role in the Vietnam War. There's a small area with helipads and special metal huts built in 1967–68. These huts were used for training Army pilots. Buildings built specifically for the Vietnam War are quite rare.

Modern Era: F-111 Phase (1968–Present)

From 1968 onwards, RAAF Base Amberley became home to the F-111 aircraft. This period is very important for Australia's defence.

What You Can See Today

RAAF Base Amberley still has many of its historic structures. They are located at the corner of Southern Amberley Road and Rosewood Road.

• The diamond-shaped Command Precinct, including the old parade ground (242) and its surrounding gardens.
• The Guardhouse (21), which is now a museum, at the base entrance.
• The 301 Air Base Headquarters (65).
• The Base Medical Flight Building (61 and 243).
• The Air Base support building (240).
• Hangar 76.
• The underground operations building (AP1-1), off Southern Amberley Road.
• Bellman Hangar 745.
• The Riley Newsum houses (AP6-26 and 27) on Gannett Street.
• The old School House (30) and Residence (31).
• The former Army Helicopter and Fixed Wing training area (95–103), also known as Silver City (8 buildings).
• The Emergency Power Generator (20).
• The Cinema (60).
• The Airmen's Mess (42), which is now a gymnasium.
• The Sergeants Mess (41).
• Many Bellman Hangars (340, 255–258, 260–263, 277–280).
• The Air Safety Building (467).

How Well Preserved Are They?

The area with the World War Two buildings still looks much like it did back then. The way the roads and buildings are laid out shows the original plan. The guardhouse, for example, is clearly at the end of the main road leading to the command area. This means you can still see how the base was designed and used.

While some buildings have been changed a bit over time, they still keep their main features.

Condition of the Buildings

As of 2002, most of the individual buildings were in good condition. This is expected for an active RAAF base.

Why Amberley's Heritage is Important

RAAF Base Amberley's heritage structures were added to the Commonwealth Heritage List on June 22, 2004. They are important for many reasons:

• A Place of National Importance: Amberley RAAF Base played a huge role in Australia's defence history. It was set up in 1938 as Europe faced new conflicts before World War Two. During the war, it was a key departure point for flights to and from the United States and the Pacific. It also repaired and assembled new aircraft. This important role continued through the Korean War, atomic testing, and the Vietnam War. Today, it's home to Australia's Strike Reconnaissance Group.

• Showing Early Air Force Design: The base shows how early air force bases were designed under British influence. A key feature is the diamond-shaped command area, connected to the Guardhouse by the original road. This area includes the Air Base HQ (65), Medical Flight building (61 & 243), and the parade ground. Hangar 76 is also closely linked to the HQ. Other buildings like the Emergency Power Generator (20), Cinema (60), and Mess halls (42, 41) show the base's wartime layout.

• Unique Building Styles: Many buildings show special design features. The Air Base HQ (65) and Air Base support building (246) use a common timber style. Building 65 is a unique design with a "camera obscura" for training bombing crews. Hangar 76, the Medical Flight Building (61, 243), and the Guardhouse (21) show the use of brick and the Art Deco style for permanent structures built before World War II.

• Innovation in Wartime Construction: The Bellman hangars (340, 255–258, 260–263, 277–280) are important examples of how new building methods, like prefabrication, were used for defence during World War II. As a group, these 13 hangars show the base's main job of aircraft maintenance during the war.

• Strategic Command and US Connections: The underground operations building (AP1-1) from 1942 shows the need to protect important command functions during wartime. It was directly linked to American forces and used as a communication base during the Vietnam War.

• Solving Post-War Housing Needs: The Riley-Newsum cottages (AP8-26 & 27) are examples of how the government solved housing shortages after World War II.

• Rare Examples of Specific Functions: Building 467, the Air Safety Building, used for drying and packing parachutes, is a rare example of its type from the Korean War period.

• Vietnam War History: The former Army Helicopter and Fixed Wing training area, known as "Silver City," is important because it's linked to the Vietnam War. Buildings built specifically for this war are considered rare.

• Local Community History: The old Amberley State School buildings (the school and headmaster's residence), built in 1903, show the early history of the Amberley community. They are good examples of government school building designs from the early 1900s.