General News
30 April, 2026
How war shaped our region
ON the eve of ANZAC Day, the Cairns community pays tribute to all who served, sacrificed and endured through times of conflict.
Their service and sacrifice helped shape the Cairns we know today.
May we continue to honour their memory and may their bravery never be forgotten.
Cairns’ wartime role remembered
DURING World War II, Cairns and the Far North emerged as a crucial frontline hub, experiencing rationing, censorship and widespread defensive preparations.
As Japanese forces advanced down the Malay Peninsula, the Commonwealth Government urged civilians to evacuate – prompting nearly half of Cairns’ 15,000 residents to leave their homes, many selling belongings for very little.
Local authorities secretly planned to demolish key infrastructure, including wharves and oil tanks, should enemy forces reach the city.
Anti-aircraft guns were installed along the foreshore and at False Cape, while weekly air raid sirens kept residents drilled in emergency procedures. The region also saw bombs dropped at Mossman and reports of a Japanese submarine off Yarrabah.
Cairns became a major military staging area, with Trinity Beach used for amphibious landing training and thousands of American troops housed in a large transit centre before deployment to New Guinea
Women’s emergency corps: Far North’s hidden war effort
THIS ANZAC Day, we remember the often overlooked women of the Women’s Emergency Corps (WEC), who trained across Far North Queensland from 1940.
In Cairns alone, 130 volunteers formed the first unit, meeting twice weekly for drills, fitness and lectures.
Teenage girls and married women alike learned skills vital to Australia’s defence – motor driving, motorcycle riding, signalling, first aid, ambulance work, nursing basics and even gun handling.
They trained in squads, maintained strict parade routines and funded their own uniforms and travel through cake stalls and community events.
Entirely volunteer run, the WEC became a crucial civilian force, ready to respond if war reached Australia’s shores – a proud legacy worth honouring this ANZAC Day.
Stratford powder magazine: A blast from Cairns’ industrial past
THE Stratford powder magazine, built in 1901, played a crucial role in safely storing government and privately owned explosives during a time when Cairns was receiving more than 2700 cases of explosives each year.
Designed to strict safety standards, the structure featured a raised timber floor for ventilation and roof vents to maintain a stable temperature, enabling it to hold up to 6000 cases securely.
During World War II, the Australian Defence Force took control of the site, stationing a garrison guard nearby to protect the strategically-important storage facility.
Today, the magazine still stands as an impressive reminder of the region’s industrial and wartime history – well worth a drive to Stratford to see for yourself.
