61st Battalion Queensland Cameron Highlanders Memorial Shelter

About

The memorial consists of the reclaimed former Stewart Place tram shelter, and houses the tributes, history and memories of the 61st Battalion Queensland Cameron Highlanders between 1938 and 1946. The Ashgrove RSL Sub-Branch, with financial support from various sources, renovated the shelter and included signage and 12 interpretive panels that tell the story of the service, sacrifice and triumph of this unit. Additional Information In late 1938 Colonel John Grant MC VD of Ashgrove was appointed to raise and command the 61st Battalion Queensland Cameron Highlanders. A militia unit with its own kilted uniform and Pipes and Drums, it was well trained and highly regarded. In 1942 the 61st Battalion played a leading role in the Battle of Milne Bay, New Guinea. When the fierce battle ended with the Japanese withdrawal it broke the 'spell of the seemingly invincible Japanese Army'. Having swept through South-East Asia and into New Guinea, this was their first defeat on land in the Second World War. This significantly boosted morale for Allied forces in the Pacific and Asia. Milne Bay was the furthest south the Japanese Army reached in the Second World War. The memorial is complemented by three other memorials in the Stewart Place memorial precinct. The other memorials are: Ashgrove War Memorial Ashgrove Stewart Place Gallipoli Pine Ashgrove Stewart Place Field Gun 61st Battalion Queensland Cameron Highlanders Plaque - Shrine of Memories, ANZAC Square