Stories of a city on the frontline
As Townsville prepares to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific, the stories of those who lived through wartime in North Queensland are once again taking centre stage, thanks to a powerful local history that continues to resonate two decades after its original release
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Townsville in War and Peace 1942–1946, compiled and edited by Geoff Hansen and the late Dr Diane Menghetti, was first published in 2005 to mark the VP60 commemorations.
The book combined historical essays, personal reflections and more than 190 photographs and illustrations to document the upheaval and resilience experienced by the city during and after World War II.
“In 2005, when Townsville planned to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific (VP60) … we decided the Museum should do Townsville in War and Peace 1942–1946 so the people of Townsville could learn more about life in those times when Townsville became Australia’s garrison city,” Mr Hansen says.
“The book received a good review by journalist Ian Frazer in the Townsville Bulletin and it sold out fairly quickly, particularly among the many people who remembered the war and were still alive then.”
Mr Hansen, who served as President of the Townsville Museum and Historical Society for many years, says he was drawn to the project through his longstanding working relationship with Dr Menghetti, who first supervised his graduate studies.
Their shared interest in preserving regional memory evolved into a commitment to capture the social and emotional realities of wartime Townsville, not just the military record.
“By having the diverse range of content and viewpoints, we believed we could provide a more complete picture of what Townsville was like during the war than just a general history of the city in those times,” he says.
The result is a mosaic of perspectives, from a 1974 academic analysis by Dr Ian Moles on civilian morale, to Dr Menghetti’s own chapter on the evolving roles of women during the war and Mr Hansen’s research into how Townsvilleans responded when peace was finally declared in August 1945.
“We added more human interest to the times,” Mr Hansen says. “We had the benefit of being able to interview people who were still alive to get some stories of their war time experiences and, had access to interviews held on tape recordings held at JCU.”
The emotional imprint of the war was also deeply personal for Mr Hansen, who recalled seeing its legacy as a child growing up in post-war Townsville.
“I often saw youngish men going along on crutches with a trouser leg pinned up signifying a missing leg,” he says. “And I remember seeing men with missing arms, scarred faces and a neighbour who would scream and yell when people walked past – he was a former prisoner of war.”
For modern audiences, Mr Hansen hopes the latest edition of the book, reprinted in 2021, offers more than historical insight.
He believes it holds lessons in resilience and perspective.
“I would like to think that, from the words and illustrations, they would get an understanding of just how quickly things could change in their day-to-day lives, particularly in the uncertain geopolitical world we live in today,” he says.
This special VP80 feature includes several extracts from Townsville in War and Peace, 1942–1946, offering a glimpse into a forgotten time of anti-aircraft guns, ration books, troop convoys and local courage.
“History has a habit of repeating itself,” Mr Hansen says. “It might be useful to know and understand about our past so we can, perhaps, better cope with unknowns that might lie ahead.”
WHY THESE STORIES MATTER
In his foreword to the 75th anniversary edition, Retired Lieutenant General John Caligari AO DSC reflects on the deep significance of preserving these memories.
He reminds us that most adults who lived through the war have now passed, and those who remember it as children are in their senior years.
These are not just stories from history books, they are the real voices of a generation that endured fear, loss and change, and whose experiences shaped the Townsville we know today.
“Three generations after WWII, the origins of Townsville’s pride as a garrison city today can be found in its experiences in WWII. The Townsville community was swamped by Australian and American service personnel to become Australia’s largest garrison city; service men and women outnumbered civilians three to one. Townsvilleans faced food and fuel shortages; and had traditional social life turned upside down. Some of the War’s most significant events originated in Townsville. The Battle of the Coral Sea was fought from Townsville and the US 5th Airforce was raised in Townsville.”
“There was a strong affinity between those who served in or passed through Townsville during WWII and the city plays a key role in the Defence of Australia to this day.”
LIFE ON THE HOME FRONT
When war reached Australia’s doorstep in 1942, Townsville changed almost overnight.
Once a quiet regional port, it rapidly became a vital garrison city, its streets flooded with thousands of Australian and American servicemen, military vehicles and aircraft.
Makeshift airstrips sprang up around the city, anti-aircraft guns were installed at Kissing Point and bomb shelters appeared on street corners.
In his chapter Living in a Garrison City, Dr Ian Moles describes the harsh reality of life in a wartime city.
“The military build-up lifted Townsville’s population to an eventual peak of about 90,000 by the middle of 1943; soldiers outnumbered civilians by almost three to one.”
“North Queensland had ‘suffered more disabilities during the war than probably any other part of the Commonwealth’.”
“Large numbers of householders were completely deprived of supplies of ice and milk – the two ‘most serious’ shortages; tinned and dried fruits, biscuits, alcohol, and especially fresh fruit and vegetables were scarce and exorbitantly expensive.”
“The ordinary householder and his children [were] forced to go without.”
“Townsvilleans … became ‘fed up’ with ‘the raw deal and shabby treatment extended to the people of this city’.”
“There were shortages of everything from bread, beer and bacon to lollies, chocolates, matches and clothes pegs.”
“No preparations had been made for the accommodation of any considerable number of troops in Townsville … private homes, hotels, cinemas, public halls and schools were simply taken over.”
LIVING WITH FEAR
While history now tells us that Townsville was never a serious invasion target, the people living here during World War II believed otherwise.
Fear shaped daily life as families prepared for the worst, fuelled by rumours, Japanese propaganda, and reports of atrocities.
The following extracts are taken from the chapter Celebrating Peace in the Pacific: Townsville 1942-1946 by Geoff Hansen.
“Many Townsvilleans held a deep-seated hatred towards the Japanese based on their belief in the invasion threat from early 1942 to the end of the war.”
“Townsvilleans decided it was better to face the risk of invasion than the prospect of an uncertain relocation, inconvenience to others and possible loss of property.”
“Although Townsville people got on with their lives, they continued to fear the Japanese. Dorothy Paice, who did not want to leave, decided her fate if the Japanese invaded: I said to Arthur [husband] a couple of times, if the Jap lands give me a bullet before they get me.”
“There was a definite fear and hatred. You couldn’t call it anything else … even as children you had that fear, you had that hatred.” – Joan Lean
“My father had a revolver with four bullets … If we were overrun, he was going to kill the daughters and take out whatever he could.” – Joan Lean
“People lived in an environment of partial knowledge and uncertainty.”
WOMEN IN WWII
While men went to the frontlines, the women of Townsville found themselves stepping into unfamiliar roles, both in uniform and on the home front. In her chapter What Did You Do in the War, Mum?, Dr Diane Menghetti explores how the war became a catalyst for change in the lives of local women.
From working in military support roles to keeping families and communities running, women’s contributions were vital yet often overlooked. For many, the wartime years planted the seeds of social change that would shape the decades to follow.
“When the war approached northern Australia, some of the women evacuated, others saw their families broken up by internment or enlistment; indeed a good number of them joined the armed forces themselves.”
“Women took on many of the roles left vacant by the recruits or created by the exigencies of war.”
“I was a hairdresser’s apprentice, and next day could not attend work – bad back and badly sunburnt. I did not return for that type of war work again!!!” – Di Hazard
“I guess a lot of people were frightened … but I just took the changes in my stride, and so did most of the people I knew.” – Dorothy Hansen
“The Japanese invasion was imminent … I was scared stiff. I was about two miles from home … we walked home.”
“The Japanese propaganda machine was broadcasting breakfast threats, addressing Townsville people by name and promising ‘visits’ in the days ahead.”
“Dorothy Paice asked her husband to keep a bullet in his rifle in case she was captured.”
“When Japanese troops attacked Singapore some Townsville families packed their bags and headed south or west (or simply moved to another part of the city). On 28 January 1942 the Townsville Daily Bulletin reported that: ‘Every mail train until February 9 has been booked up in advance’.”
THE DAY PEACE CAME
After years of fear, rationing and uncertainty, the announcement of Japan’s surrender on 15 August 1945 sparked scenes of jubilation across Townsville.
In his chapter on the peace celebrations, Geoff Hansen captures the moment the war ended and the city let itself breathe again.
Streets filled with cheering crowds, impromptu parades and celebrations that lasted well into the night.
For a city that had lived under the shadow of war, it was a moment of overwhelming relief and unrestrained joy.
“Shortly after 9 a.m. on 15 August 1945, Townsville received news that Japan had accepted terms of surrender. The townspeople reacted spontaneously. By 9.35 a.m., amidst confetti thrown from buildings, a large crowd of office and shop workers gathered in Flinders Street …”
“The mood was one of ‘jubilation, hilarity, and joy’ and after the crowd cheered the Mayor for announcing that ‘victory has been won and peace restored to the world’, a carnival atmosphere developed with bands playing and people shaking hands and linking arms.”
“It was an orderly crowd, just letting go all they knew in relief for the strain of the past years of war.”
“Early that evening … Mayor Gill led a parade described as ‘the greatest in the history of the city’ from the main street to ANZAC Memorial Park where local bands played for an open-air concert.”
“Victory Day [10 June 1946] was action-packed. Large congregations attended Thanksgiving Services in the churches at 9.00 a.m. and well before the procession started at 11.00 a.m., people rushed to the city to get good viewing spots. And they would not have been disappointed as they watched “probably the greatest spectacle... ever seen” in Townsville.”
Originally published as Stories of a city on the frontline
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