TradeCoast Central Heritage Park
The story of this Eagle Farm site from convict women's prison, through early aviation events to wartime support base and International Airport. You can find out more about the Heritage Park through the web site.
Featuring three heritage-listed sites.
Interpretive Centre
The Interpretive Centre is open from 10am to 4pm on week days. Entry is free. You do not need to visit the Interpretive Centre to find the cache but I would strongly recommend it to enrich your visit.
Convict Women's Prison and Farm
Men at the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement were so starved of female company, the Commandants had a constant battle keeping them away from the women prisoners. The officers were the worst offenders. The original Queen Street women's prison was much too accessible, so Captain Foster Fyans had the bright idea of moving the women out to Eagle Farm.
Please take the time to wander along the path from the posted coordinates, reading about the factory, school, farm, store and barracks before arriving at Waypoint 1.
Waypoint 1 - Prison Palisade Gate
A single gate controlled all entry into and exit from the prison yard. The huge double fence was called a 'palisade' - a military term for a fence made of strong pointed wooden stakes fixed deeply in the ground in a close row as a defence or enclosure.
The Eagle Farm outer palisade was 5.2 metres tall, 9A metres long and 94 metres deep. A = the second digit of the length.
Waypoint 2 - Amy's landing malfunction at Eagle Farm
In front of a huge crowd, Amy Johnson made a suitably dramatic entrance. Her plane overshot the runway, tipped over a fence and somersaulted in the farm beyond. Amy emerged unhurt.
Amy approached Eagle Farm aerodrome, where she had been famous for almost a week, on 29 May 19B0. B = the third digit of the year.
Leaving Waypoint 2, turn right and follow the footpath past the local businesses to reach the next stage.
Allison Engine Testing Stands
Keeping the Allies' warbirds in the air was a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week activity. Engines were manouvred into position using a block-and-tackle which ran along a monorail, then mounted on stands high enough for propellers to spin at full speed.
Waypoint 3 - Noisiest job in the war
Built in 1942, this facility was used in World War Two for testing reconditioned Allison aircraft engines - 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Back-to-back shifts of a dozen men worked on engine testing.
C = the number of engines being tested in Allison Testing Stands in the photo in the top right corner
Waypoint 4 - We'll give it a go
When Brisbane became the headquarters for the war in the South West Pacific, it also became an aviation manufacturing hub. In only nine days, a huge igloo-shaped factory was built. Within seven weeks, the first reconditioned engines were rolled out.
The number of workers grew to more than 5D0 workers. D = the second digit in the number of workers.
After leaving Waypoint 4, follow the footpath then turn right and back to the car park. Then turn left and, after carefully crossing the road, head towards Waypoint 5.
Waypoint 5 - Ford, Eagle Farm and the war
Ford's Brisbane Assembly Plant was built in 1926 for the assembly of Model T Fords. During World War Two, the plant was used for the war effort.
F = the number of aeroplanes depicted in the aerial view photograph of the Assembly Plant.
Hangar No. 7 Wartime Secrets
Behind the barbed wire fence, Hangar No. 7 evokes a time when Australia was under threat and Brisbane was in danger of becoming the frontline in World War Two.
Waypoint 6 - A place of mystery and imagination
In 1943, Hangar 7 was a hive of activity and abuzz with excitement. Enemy planes arrived in pieces and soon emerged, rebuilt and ready to fly. Understanding the superiority of the Zero fighter was crucial.
The Zero was first flown on 20 July 194G by Captain William Farrior. G = the fourth digit of the year.
Final
To find the final cache container go to S27° 25.ABC E153° 05.DFG.
Please take your time and learn about the history of the convict women's prison and farm, the Allison engine testing stands and Hangar No. 7. This is not a cache that you do merely to get a smiley or boost your numbers. My hope is that you learn something from it and gain an appreciation of a part of our city's history.
Checksum: A + B + C + D + F + G = 21