Bunker heralds more new talent | The Courier-Mail "Since four Brisbane fashion designers recently shut up shop, and as opportunities are few and far between for budding designers to break into the retail industry, a renovated World War II bunker in New Farm just could be that door. A new shopping experience called The Tribune opened in Arthur St yesterday and will serve as a platform for emerging and graduate fashion designers to showcase their designs in a retail environment – rent free." Admittedly, the Australian Bunker & Military Museum has only researched a few bunkers in Brisbane, Queensland, but we have no idea about one in New Farm. Does anyone have idea which bunker they are talking about and what it was used for? We'd like to add this one to our Military Sites Register. I'll find out soon enough when I go to BrisVegas next and ask them directly. A quick recce of 1943 aerial imagery of the area and Google Earth seems to show a couple of quonset huts but no visible evidence of major excavation, etc. Cheers, ABMM
It doesn't seem far from Merthyr Road, and Howard Smith Wharves: Air Raid Shelters at Howard Smith Wharves, Brisbane, Queensland under the Story Bridge, used during WW2 which you probably know about
Thanks for the info Kyt. I didn't presonally know about that one, or much else in Brisbane - ask me about Townsville, Cairns, Atherton Tablelands, Rockhampton, Fraser Island, Bundaberg, Amberley, Cape York, Western Sydney, Lithgow, Parkes, Adelaide or Albury and I'll tell ya though... I'm not sure they could fit a fashion designer's retail outlet into one of them, but you never know. Apparently, the address is 164B arthur St, new Farm. Judging by the amount of air raid shelters of all types which are still visible in the brisbane area, it's unlikely that this one is something more interesting like an ADHQ, Gun ops room or AOC post. I'll find out when I get down there and report back. Funnily enough, I found out about the New farm bunker this morning through an email from Peter Dunn of oz@war fame asking if we knew anything about it.
False alarm folks. After we spoke with the reporter, we ascertained that the site is actually one of the wartime Quonset huts visible on the imagery. She told us "It looked like a bunker inside" [forehead slap]
Ah, the amateur is a dangerous beast. Thanks for checking and for the clarification, ABMM. Nicely done
