Molonglo Internment Camp and Watch Tower 

Canberra’s industrial suburb, Fyshwick, was once a vast area of unused land, making it a good site for a new internment camp, completed in April 1918. The British government had requested Australia to house 3,500 German and Austrian nationals who were being expelled from China.

The camp was a new township close to the Molonglo River, capable of housing 560 families plus military personnel. But after diplomatic interventions, the prospective internees did not arrive. Instead, 150 families from the recently closed internment camp at Bourke arrived at the end of May, soon joined by families from the Berrima internment camp. They included missionaries, merchants and mariners who had been detained in British colonies such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and New Guinea.The high watch tower gave guards a hill top watch station to observe the boundary areas.

In 1919, the internees were deported to Europe and the camp was closed.

The camp was spread over a 250-acre site, from today’s Newcastle Street, Fyshwick, to the Molonglo River. It comprised 40 residential blocks, each block holding 14 family units. A butcher shop, bakery, post office, and hospital were also part of the camp.Picture attached to page is looking from the watch tower over the internment camp.

The cache is a micro blending into its surroundings.Stealth will be required at busy times. All the historical information and pictures can be found on the information board.

Please replace exactly as found .Good Luck !

FTF TO .........Search 4 & Dragon1982.