Thursday, May 3, 2007

MacArthur Museum

MacArthur MuseumThe MacArthur Museum is located on the 8th Floor of MacArthur Chambers, which can be found just down from the corner of Queens Street and Edward Street. The museum is dedicated to honouring the story of General Douglas MacArthur and the Headquarters Allied Forces South West Pacific Area during 1942–1944. This was a pivotal point in the Second World War. The building was used because of its central location and reinforced concrete roof. The museum is open Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 10:00am to 3:00pm, and can be visited with a small admission charge.

MacArthur Museum
There has been much written about Macarthur and his command during World War II. It was on July 20, 1942 that the Southwest Pacific Area headquarters was moved to Brisbane. MacArthur had been appointed Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the are, and to remove all ambiguity the then Australian Prime Minister John Curtin put MacArthur in command of the Australian military as well. The museum focuses on Macarthur's time in Brisbane, highlighting not only the man, but how the War affected the city, the people at the time, and the interactions with the large influx of American military.

MacArthur Museum
For some time I was unable to easily locate the museum, largely due to the reduced opening hours. This doesn't negate the fact that the museum provides a great reference point for a significant time in Brisbane's history. It is incredible that 60 years on a location in what is effectively a commercial building has still been maintained in such a dedicated fashion. It reminds us of our history through not only the stories of the times, but also in the heritage of the building itself. It also gives us an historical awareness of how successful the allied coalition in the area was.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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4 comments:

Ozvortex said...

Hey Wes. What a coincidence! I've been meaning to find this place for years until yesterday (Thurday 3rd May) when I dropped by the museum at morning tea to scout it out for a future blog entry of my own. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me otherwise I would have taken some shots of the outside of the building. My 3rd of May entry is here http://ozvortex.blogspot.com/2007/05/i-shall-return.html which was posted the same day as yours about the same thing! I just came across your blog this evening by accident as I was researching the GPO. Although I've been a resident of Brisbane for years I've only recently set out to explore (and document) the city of Brisbane myself. Great blog - keep up the good work. Cheers, Wayne (Ozvortex)

Wes said...

Thanks for the kind words Wayne. What a bizarre coincidence we posted about the same thing, same day. Guess its the whole Great Minds think alike deal!

Anonymous said...

macarthur too!

but it's just a pic, as i din go inside :P

have a look here if you like :)

http://frommyx.wordpress.com/2007/05/03/macarthur/

Pollyanna said...

I love museums. I am a dork, what can I say. As always, awesome pics.