Queensland’s secret WWI wills bunker opened for Remembrance Day

The Public Trustee’s secret ‘wills bunker’, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, has been opened for Remembrance Day today revealing moving documents of WWI soldiers’ sacrifices.

The Queensland Public Trustee has granted a rare glimpse into its secret “wills bunker” as part of its Remembrance Day services.

The unassuming facility, thought to be the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, appears from the outside to be a suburban Brisbane warehouse.

Inside, the bunker safeguards more than 1.3 million wills made by Queenslanders, including those created by soldiers in 1916 at an army training camp at Brisbane’s RNA Showgrounds, just before they were deployed to war.

One particularly moving document predates 1916 and is a will made in Gallipoli by a Brisbane soldier in 1915, amid the turmoil of one of World War I’s most infamous battlegrounds.

Australian soldiers assemble ahead of being deployed. Pictures: State Library of Queensland

Samay Zhouand, the Public Trustee of Queensland, expressed the profound impact of these documents.

“Holding these wills is incredibly moving and humbling,” Mr Zhouand said.

“It makes you wonder what these young soldiers were feeling as they recorded their last wishes before they left their loved ones behind, not knowing if they would ever see them again.

“The sacrifices our armed forces make and continue to make – these wills make it feel very real.

“At Queensland Public Trustee, we believe your will is your story and your life’s legacy, and we feel enormously honoured to safeguard these wills and the wills of all Queenslanders who’ve entrusted us with one of their most personal documents.”

QPT, originally known as the Public Curator, was established by the Queensland Government in January 1916 to assist soldiers in creating wills and other legal documents at no cost before heading to battle.

Soldiers training at the RNA Showgrounds provided instructions on who should receive their assets if they perished in the war.

Photographs from the vault at the Public Trustee Office. Pictures: State Library of Queensland

The wills hold stories of diverse lives, such as a farmer from Gin Gin who left everything to his mother, a soldier from the Darling Downs who did the same, and a station-hand from Chinchilla who left his estate to his brother after joining the 5th Light Horse Regiment.

The bunker, constructed in response to the 2011 widespread flooding and Cyclone Yasi, is designed to withstand natural disasters such as floods and fires, ensuring the safety of these precious documents.

The wills are stored in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment, using acid-free cardboard archive boxes to minimise paper deterioration.

Security measures include 24-hour motion-sensor surveillance.

Each year, Queensland Public Trustee Office creates approximately 16,000 new wills and 2200 enduring powers of attorney documents for Queenslanders, all stored securely and free of charge.

Some of the wills from the vault in Brisbane. Pictures; Public Trustee Office. State Library of Queensland

The importance of safeguarding the original will document cannot be overstated, as it is usually required by family or executers to distribute an estate, with copies often being insufficient.

As the nation commemorates Remembrance Day, the QPT’s “wills bunker” serves as a poignant reminder of the personal sacrifices made by soldiers and the enduring importance of preserving their legacies.

The Queensland Public Trustee’s efforts ensure that these stories of bravery and commitment are not lost to time, providing a deeply moving connection to Australia’s wartime history.

Originally published as Queensland’s secret WWI wills bunker opened for Remembrance Day