MacArthur Museum Brisbane

MacArthur Museum Brisbane MacArthur Museum Brisbane is open to visitors on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday every week from 10am to 3pm (last entry 2.30pm)

in 1939 the Menzies Government announced the formation of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) as a result o...
05/09/2026

in 1939 the Menzies Government announced the formation of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) as a result of the Australian declaration of war against N**I Germany. The force was to be comprised entirely of volunteers. This was required as neither the Permanent Military Forces or Militia were required by the Defence Act (1903) Section 49 to “serve beyond the limits of the Commonwealth”

At first one division (6th) with auxiliary troops, about 20,000 in all, were enlisted. LT GEN Thomas A. Blamey pictured below was appointed as commander (13th October 1939) and would remain the senior officer of the Australian Army throughout the war. The Fall of France in 1940 saw a massive increase in enrolments such that 48,496 enlisted in June of 1940 alone. This enabled the establishment of a further three divisions (7th,8th and 9th).

The 8th Division was captured with the Fall of Singapore, and the other divisions had all returned from the Middle East by February 1943. In November 1944 the Army strength totalled 423,000 men and women, of whom 300,000 were AIF. The Second AIF was formally disbanded on 30th June 1946 and replaced by the Interim Army.

On 2 September 1945 the formal signing of the Japanese to the Allied powers occurred on board the battleship USS Missour...
02/09/2026

On 2 September 1945 the formal signing of the Japanese to the Allied powers occurred on board the battleship USS Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay. Over 300 Allied ships of almost all types were in Tokyo Bay but Allied aircraft carriers and their escorts were conspicuously absent. Incidents immediately after the announcement that the Japanese government would surrender led to fears of Japanese fanatics attempting to assassinate delegates to the surrender ceremony or su***de attacks against the anchored ships.

General MacArthur initially had hoped that the surrender would take place ashore, but security considerations led to the decision to hold it afloat. The US Navy felt that the surrender should acknowledge the fact that the war had started with an attack on the US fleet and should end with the recognition of its triumph. The decision to hold the surrender on board the USS Missouri would have pleased President Truman as it was named after his home state and his daughter was the christening lady.

The ceremony lasted 23 minutes with MacArthur signing as Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers and representatives of the US, Britain, China, USSR and Australia being prominent among the other signatories.

Image shows GEN MacArthur at microphone making concluding speech, behind him left to right:GEN Hsu Yung Chang (China), ADM Sir Bruce Fraser (Britain), LT GEN K.N.Derevyanko (USSR), GEN Sir Thomas Blamey (Australia), COL L. Moore Cosgrove (Canada), GEN B.J.LeClerc (France)

As part of an offensive to capture Port Moresby the Japanese attempted to capture Milne Bay on the eastern extremity of ...
31/08/2026

As part of an offensive to capture Port Moresby the Japanese attempted to capture Milne Bay on the eastern extremity of PNG. Japanese marines of the Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF) landed at Rabi within Milne Bay on 25 August. Their objective was the capture of the airstrips which were being built by Allied engineers.

The main battle was fought over No 3 strip (photo shown below) from 3 am on 31 August when waves of SNLF attacked the Australian infantry positions but were repulsed with heavy losses. In a subsequent action Corporal John French was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

Japanese casualties were reported as 625 KIA and 373 WIA. Australian casualties were 167 KIA and 206 WIA, US forces suffered 14 KIA. Milne Bay was the first major victory which caused a withdrawal of Japanese forces and had a considerable morale effect on Allied forces in the Asia-Pacific region.

Open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 10am to 3pm.Located on 8th Floor, MacArthur Chambers, 201 Edward Street.Check ...
17/08/2026

Open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 10am to 3pm.

Located on 8th Floor, MacArthur Chambers, 201 Edward Street.

Check out our website at www.mmb.org.au

Message us if you have questions.

The Battle of Savo Island in the night of 8/9 August 1942 was a major defeat for the Allied Navies protecting the US lan...
09/08/2026

The Battle of Savo Island in the night of 8/9 August 1942 was a major defeat for the Allied Navies protecting the US landing at Guadalcanal. The battle followed on the decisive US victory at the Battle of Midway. The US Navy lost the heavy cruisers Astoria, Vincennes, and Quincy while the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), lost the heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra (pictured here listing to starboard). The number of killed was 1023 (84 from Canberra) and 709 were wounded,

The preparations for the operation to invade Guadalcanal had been made in a rush of political reasons. Admiral Ernest King (CinC of the US Navy) was anxious to get more forces allocated to the Pacific War and feared apparent inactivity in the Pacific would lead to a reduced allocation of resources to the Pacific.

MacArthur Museum’s display on the battle summarises the haste, difficulties of equipment and procedures between the USN and RAN, poor weather, communications problems and bad luck which contributed to the outcome.

in 1945, the world entered the atomic age.Research into atomic weapons had progressed slowly through the 1930s with Da...
06/08/2026

in 1945, the world entered the atomic age.

Research into atomic weapons had progressed slowly through the 1930s with Danish physicist Niels Bohr warning of the danger such a device could pose in the wrong hands. Einstein echoed this in his August 1939 letter to President Roosevelt.

In 1941, German physicist Werner Heisenberg told Bohr the N***s were close to an atomic weapon. Bohr passed this to the British, who alerted the US. Just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbour, Roosevelt declared that “we must get there first”, which became Allied policy in WW2.

The bombs dropped on 6 and 9 August 1945 remain controversial to this day.

Over 4000 Axis POW were held in camps around Australia with the camp near Cowra shown in this photo holding 1104 Japanes...
05/08/2026

Over 4000 Axis POW were held in camps around Australia with the camp near Cowra shown in this photo holding 1104 Japanese and Koreans who had been fighting for Japan. The Japanese prisoners were largely ashamed of being captured as this was contrary to code of bushido (warrior code).

On 4 August 1944 the Japanese were informed that the Japanese officers and NCOs were to remain at Cowra while the other ranks would be moved to Hay. At about 2am in 1944 a bugle sounded, and the inmates stormed the wire surrounding the camp and the towers housing machine guns manned by Australian guards. The guards (Ptes B.G. Hardy and R. Jones) were overwhelmed by sheer numbers and killed. Another guard was killed inside the camp and in the days that followed an Australian officer was killed while pursuing escaped POW.

Japanese killed in the breakout included many who committed su***de rather than be recaptured. Consequently 213 were killed and 108 were wounded. Australian casualties were 4 killed. No civilians were killed due to orders issued by Japanese officers.

28/07/2026

Visit MacArthur Museum Brisbane!
https://mmb.org.au/
We offer an in-depth look at Brisbane’s World War II legacy and General MacArthur’s involvement.
Address: MacArthur Chambers, Level 8/201 Edward St, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Entry fee: Adults: $10, Concession: $5 (includes children, students and pensioners)
Family Group: $20 (includes two adults and at least one child)

As we commemorate the 180th birthday of the Courier Mail this year, we share a selection of photos from our collection t...
09/07/2026

As we commemorate the 180th birthday of the Courier Mail this year, we share a selection of photos from our collection taken by Cliff Potter, a Courier Mail photographer, in 1945/46 following the end of WW2 hostilities.

Slide 1: Civilians welcoming home soldiers returning from overseas.
Slide 2: Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) on parade.
Slide 3: US sailors in parade.
Slide 4: Female nurses in parade.
Slide 5: Australian army on parade.

On 6 July 1942 tea became the second food item to be rationed (after butter). At the outbreak of war in 1939, Australia...
06/07/2026

On 6 July 1942 tea became the second food item to be rationed (after butter). At the outbreak of war in 1939, Australians averaged about 4-5 cups per day of tea. Coffee was not a favourite beverage at that time but would be one change brought about by the American presence in Australia during the war.

Australia imported almost all its tea from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) before the war but in 1942 the Japanese advance into the Southwest Pacific and Indian Oceans became extremely dangerous. The powerful fleet which attacked Darwin in February was on its way to destroy the British Eastern fleet based at Trinccomalee in Ceylon. The Japanese also held much of the area between Australia and Ceylon. The Japanese decided not to invade Ceylon because of the defences there (including two Australian Brigades) but decided to isolate it instead.

Realising that the main source of supply of tea was now cut off and this was likely to remain the case for a long time, rationing was required with the rationale being that limited goods should be shared equally regardless of wealth or position in society. This would also limit inflationary competition in a free market. Meat and sugar would follow on the list of foodstuffs rationed.

Come and visit the MacArthur Museum in Brisbane which has informative displays on the years of austerity, which include food, clothing and motor vehicle equipment (e.g. tyres) and fuel.

Address

Level 8 MacArthur Chambers, 201 Edward Street
Brisbane, QLD
4000

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 3pm
Thursday 10am - 3pm
Sunday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+61732117052

Website

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