THE WWII radio station at Birkdale which received the WWII breathtaking news that the Japanese had surrendered has been nominated for Commonwealth heritage listing.
Birkdale Progress Association president Pam Spence said her organisation had put the former US Army Radio Receiving Station up for listing.
“It has been relatively undisturbed since the end of the war,’’ Ms Spence said. “Together with the (nearby) Willard’s Farm buildings, this area comprised one of Redlands’ earliest farms.
“In 1942, the US Army, under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, acquired 200 acres (81 hectares) of the Cotton farm (formerly the Willard Farm) and built a radio receiving station.
“It played a key role during the war, allowing General MacArthur to listen in to enemy broadcasts and to keep in radio contact with Washington and other stations.’’
Ms Spence said the most significant message received at the station was likely the advice of the Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945.
“The Birkdale station was the first place to receive this historic news. The war in the Pacific was over,’’ she said.
This site was listed on the State Government’s WWII Historic Places site, which indicated how important it was.
“Our media is currently commemorating the anniversaries of the fall of Singapore and the bombing of Darwin,’’ Ms Spence said.
“Birkdale could be next when in 2020 the world focuses on the 75th anniversary of the end of the war in the Pacific.
“Heritage is important to society, as much here in the Redlands as anywhere else. BPA wants the history and importance of this local site made known generally and to be factored into its future planning.’’
Ms Spence said the site also contained valuable open space and koala habitat.
In September last year, a second building – now on Australian Communications and Media Authority land – was severely damaged by vandals.
Despite calls by Redland City councillor Paul Bishop for the site to be protected immediately, ACMA has done nothing to repair or protect the property from the weather, with a spokesman saying only that a heritage assessment would be done before it was sold, likely some time this year.
In the the draft South East Queensland Regional Plan, the land upon which the site sits also has been moved from non-urban to urban, meaning governments are likely to develop the heritage and bushland site for housing.
