Townsville City Council has recognised the historical significance of the former Stuart Immigration Holding Centre, following years of advocacy from local resident and former camp resident Lucia Johnston.
Mrs Johnston’s first Australian home was a residential hut at the centre, situated at the bottom of Mount Stuart, which she shared with her Polish parents alongside other immigrants fleeing war-torn Europe after World War II.
Ten huts, a clinic, laundries, administration buildings and classrooms dotted the patch of bushland in Wulguru at the time, with the camp housing around 600 refugees between 1950 and 1958 before the new arrivals were assimilated into the local community.
Mrs Johnston went on to build a beautiful and busy life in the North, moving south for some time with her children and husband David, but ultimately returning to her first Australian home: Townsville.
However when she learned in 2022 that the Wulguru site, which is owned by the Queensland Government, could be sold off she embarked on a mission to ensure it was remembered and recognised.
Various appeals to government departments, meetings and media appearances to highlight what the site meant to so many ensued, with a request eventually landing on the lap of Division 10 Councillor Brady Ellis.
Cr Ellis said the Stuart Immigration Holding Centre was a highly significant – though physically diminished – chapter of Townsville and world history.
“After WWII when millions of people were displaced, Australia opened its arms and welcomed them – Townsville had an important role to play in that resettling process and it is this spot in Stuart, in particular, that was set up to be the short-term home for these families as they re-built their lives,” he said.
“Most people living in Townsville today have no idea that spot is here, personally I had no idea until Lucia reached out to me and I am so glad she did.
“Lucia explained her story and that she had been unfortunately having difficulty cutting through some bureaucratic red tape, so I spoke to Council and they were fantastic about coming up with some historical signage designs and getting them installed.
“It’s a small first step, but it’s a great outcome for Lucia and also for the community who I think will benefit from being able to stop at that spot on the base of Mount Stuart, read the signage and take a look at the site and take a collective trip back to yesteryear.”
Mrs Johnston said the Stuart camp served as a safe haven for families like her own who were recovering after the war.
She said her parents would be proud and appreciative of her efforts to have the site formally recognised.
“The camp was a place of safety and happiness for us – from the impression I got from my mum, the fact that the adults at the camp all had a job and were able to contribute to the community was so important to them,” Mrs Johnston said.
“They weren’t just migrants, they had a purpose – my father helped to build the road to Mount Spec and my mother was a cook in the camp; the migrants felt appreciated, which helped them to feel worthwhile after what they had been through in the war.
“I am very grateful to Council and Brady, who have been great in organising this signage to go up – I would encourage people to come down and have a look at this piece of history that really did mean so much to us.”
