How often have you driven past the sandstone wall in Petrie Terrace just past its intersection with Caxton Street and wondered what was really on the other side of the wall? On the other side is what is now known today as Victoria Barracks. Originally the barracks were called the Green Hills Barracks as it was at the time of its opening in 1864 area around the Barracks was called Green Hills.
Victoria Barracks is the third Military Barracks complex built in Brisbane. The first was created sometime after 1824 and before 1830 following the arrival of the first group of convicts in Moreton Bay in 1824. The initial convict settlement was at Redcliffe based in a small area on either side of where the Redcliffe Jetty now sits. Due to an unsuitable environment, the settlement moved over time to its final location in 1825 to its final site that was on either side of what is Queen Street today at the Brisbane River end.
The first Barracks were constructed on an area known today as Brisbane Square and Reddacliff Place. In 1830 new Barracks were built on the current Treasury Casino site with its entry from William Street. The convict settlement in Brisbane closed in 1842 and all British Troops moved back to Sydney.
When Queensland’s first Governor, Sir George Ferguson Bowen arrived in Brisbane on the ship, Cordelia, on 10 December 1959 he noticed at his welcome by about 5,000 locals, in what is now the old Brisbane Botanical Gardens, that there were no British Troops to welcome him as there were none based in the new State of Queensland. Governor Bowen set about to address such a situation. As a result of his representations two things happened, first in 1860 a Colour Sergeant from the 12th Regiment of Foot in Sydney arrived in Brisbane to train militia along the lines of the Militia set-up in England. The second thing to happen was later in 1860 a detachment from the 12th Regiment of Foot, based in Sydney, arrived in Brisbane and was billeted in the old Military Barracks on the site of today’s Treasury Casino.
Some time prior to 1864 a decision was made to build a new Military Barracks on a site in Green Hills, which is now called Petrie Terrace. The construction included officer quarters, a building of 4 rooms surrounded by a verandah, with kitchen and attached stable; other ranks barracks, a two story building about 118 feet long and 33 feet wide, a guard house with two cells, an ablution block, and a kitchen. A verandah fully surrounded the second level of the other ranks building. The Barracks were built at a cost of about £7,000.
On the evening of the 27th of October 1864, the detachment of the 12th Regiment of Foot marched out of the old Barracks in Williams Street up to the new Green Hills Barracks. Over the next few years, additional buildings were erected on the Green Hills Barracks site. The new buildings included a Military Hospital, house for the Medical Superintendent, and the Commandant’s residence. In 1866 the detachment of the 12th Regiment of Foot were sent to New Zealand to fight in the Maori Wars. They were replaced by a full complement of the
50th Regiment of Foot who had returned from the Maori Wars. Due to memories of Brisbane being a convict settlement and issues with troops from the 12th Regiment of Foot, in March 1869 the Queensland Government put a request to the then Governor Blackall that the British were no longer required. As a result, the 50th Regiment of Foot sailed to Sydney. Green Hills Barracks went into caretaker mode.
Around April 1875, the Queensland Police moved into Green Hills Barracks. The first Police Commissioner appointed was David Thompson Seymour, a former officer in the 12th Regiment of Foot. To this point, he is the longest serving Police Commissioner of the Queensland Police Force.
Whilst the Queensland Police were based at Green Hills Barracks, there was a major expansion of the Queensland Police force. The Police undertook additions to the Barracks and modifications to support their role. They added a stable for 28 horses in a site alongside Countess Street just before Countess Street passes under the railway line. The original entry to the stables was in the middle of the building on the side facing Countess Street. Today the entry is on the southern end of the building facing the railway line. The stable door was wide enough and high enough for a Black Maria to pass through and for a policeman on horseback to ride through after mounting his horse inside the stables.
Until 1885, the Police were responsible for maintain the law and counteracting any military attacks on Queensland. In the early 1880s the Queensland Government became concerned with World events in our neighbourhood. France took over New Caledonia, Germany took over the top half of New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and there were concerns with possible attacks from Russia (the building of Fort Lytton in the 1880-82 timeframe). So, in 1883 the Queensland Government to steps to set up the Queensland Defence Force (QDF) which was to be based in The Green Hills Barracks which was soon to be renamed Victoria Barracks. The Government chose Lieutenant Colonel George Arthur French, an English Officer from the Canadian Artillery School in Kingston, Ontario to set-up and run the QDF. Colonel French took up his role in early 1883.
The Queensland Police moved next door to a site that was previously a jail, construction of which started in 1858 and opened in 1860. That jail was replaced by the jail on St. Helena Island.
The Queensland Defence Force grew over the years and, as a result, buildings were added to the Victoria Barracks site. Some of these building included new stables, buildings to support carpentry, collar making, veterinary services, a pharmacy, blacksmith’s shop, and an armoury.
After Federation, the QDF were integrated into the Australian Army on 1 March 1901. Since 1901 additional building have been added to the Victoria Barracks site, many of which were to support conflicts in which Australia was involved: Boer War, WW1, WW2 and Vietnam.
Today Victoria Barracks is still an operational military base supporting all three arms of the Australian Military.
Some interesting people and activities in which Victoria Barracks was involved: