June 8, 2024 sees the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the first 600 displaced and stateless persons at the Greta Migrant Camp. Their arrival was a major event in Australia's (and Maitland's) migrant history.
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The outbreak of World War II heralded the need for Australia to increase its armed forces.
There had already been a long tradition of militia training at the Rutherford Racecourse, Aberglasslyn Road, Largs, Lochinvar, Raymond Terrace and Newcastle.
When war was declared on September 3, 1939, there were 800 trainees under canvas at Rutherford. By early October, a further 20,000 troops formed the new 18th Infantry Brigade of the 6th Division.
On October 10 the Minister for Defence, GA Street, announced that a new army training camp would be built at Lochinvar. However, the residents of Lochinvar objected and the government dropped the site. Instead, 600 acres of the Dunoon Estate of WF Buffier (a cattle dealer at Campbell's Hill) were purchased for the camp.
When war was declared there were 800 trainees under canvas at Rutherford. By early October, a further 20,000 troops formed the new 18th Infantry Brigade of the 6th Division
- Alek Schulha
Part of the site, between Allandale and Greta, was once owned by Molly Morgan, a convict who helped lay the foundations of the future Maitland. Molly built Maitland's first hotel, became the owner of several properties and cattle herds and was known as 'the Queen of the Hunter'. She died on her property in 1835 and is buried in an unmarked grave on Mount Molly Morgan, 'her' mountain.
Compton Brothers of Lawes Street, East Maitland were among the contractors hired to build the Greta Army Camp from November 1939. Another Maitland builder, Jack Bede Burg, built the Catholic United Services Auxiliary recreation hut which opened on land opposite the main camp in July 1940. This £600 hut was built from donations made by parishioners from the Maitland/Newcastle Catholic Diocese.
By April 1940 there were 450 buildings at Greta Camp which became the largest army training facility in Australia. It was to house up to 6000 trainees at a time and more than 60,000 overall during the war years.
After the war, Europe was devastated. In 1947 there were 1.6 million displaced and stateless people living in 920 refugee camps there. Australia's first Minister for Immigration, Arthur Calwell, signed an agreement with the International Refugee Organisation to take some of them. They were to be housed in 23 former army camps and air force bases throughout Australia.
One of these was the Greta Camp. Compton Brothers again won contracts to transform the dormitory-style barracks at Greta into family rooms and to build additional barracks.
The first 600 migrants arrived at the Greta Camp in a convoy of 16 buses from the Bathurst Camp on 7 June, 1949. Buses were used because of a national coal miners' strike: there was no coal for trains.
These 600 were an advance party sent to prepare the camp for the influx of thousands of migrants set to arrive in August. They were tasked with cutting the grass, removing snakes, cleaning cobwebs, cleaning windows, restocking wood piles for the boilers, clearing road gutters and re-painting buildings. Several weeks before, another small team of 50 migrants had been sent to start the remodelling of the camp.
The first of 13 ships to sail directly into Newcastle Harbour from August 19 began the main influx.
