RAAF Station Sandgate was a

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF)

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

located at

Brighton, Queensland Brighton is a coastal northern suburb of Brisbane, in the state of Queensland, in Australia. In the , Brighton had a population of 9,479 people. Geography Brighton and its neighbouring suburb Bald Hills are the northernmost suburbs of Brisbane ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The Station was formed on 16 December 1940 under the command of

Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...

H.A. Rigby, MC. An advance party arrived at Sandgate prior to the Station's formation and found that works on the installation had been suspended. Station Headquarters, No. 3 Initial Training School and No. 3 Embarkment Depot were based at

Amberley Amberley may refer to: Places Australia *Amberley, Queensland, near Ipswich, Australia *RAAF Base Amberley, a Royal Australian Air Force military airbase United Kingdom * Amberley, Gloucestershire, England * Amberley, Herefordshire, England ...

, the airmen billeted at

RAAF Station Archerfield RAAF Station Archerfield was a permanent Royal Australian Air Force station at Archerfield Airport in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, from 1939 to 1956. History 1939–1945 At the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the Royal Austra ...

and the officers at the Hotel Canberra in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, until 18 April 1941 when the RAAF buildings at Sandgate had been completed. RAAF Station Sandgate was disbanded on 6 November 1944. The Premier of Queensland, Ned Hanlon, negotiated the purchase of the Station for £25,000 and the

Government of Queensland The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary system, parliamentary constitutional monarchy was form ...

relocated the

Dunwich Benevolent Asylum The Dunwich Benevolent Asylum was a Benevolent Asylum for the aged, infirm and destitute operated by the Queensland Government in Australia. It was located at Dunwich on North Stradbroke Island in Moreton Bay and operated from 1865 to 1946. His ...

to the site in October 1946, renaming it the Eventide Nursing Home. Eventide closed in 2012. In April 2016, the Queensland Government announced that the site would become the Brighton Health Campus for

Queensland Health Queensland Health is the name of the overall public health service in the state of Queensland, Australia. Like all other states and territories in Australia, the Queensland Government provides low- or no-cost primary, secondary, and tertiary ...

, providing over 200 beds for community transition care, rehabilitation and residential aged care.

Units based at Sandgate

No. 3 Initial Training School

No. 3 Initial Training School was formed as part of the

Empire Air Training Plan The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), or Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Z ...

on 16 December 1940. Recruits started their training with a few weeks at an Initial Training School to learn the basics of military life. They were taught subjects such as mathematics, navigation and aerodynamics. The school relocated to Kingaroy via

in 1942.

No. 3 Embarkment Depot

No. 3 Embarkment Depot was formed on 16 December 1940. At the end of their courses of training aircrew and ground staff were posted to embarkation depots, where they were appropriately kitted and given a final medical examination before deploying to operational theatres.

Sandgate RAAF Station Memorial

In 1999 a memorial was dedicated "To All Who Served Here Especially Those Who Did Not Return" File:RAAF Base Sangate Memorial 1.jpg, Memorial at Site of RAAF Station Sandgate File:RAAF Base Sangate Memorial 2.jpg, Close-up of memorial showing details File:RAAF Base Sangate marker sign.jpg, Sign adjacent to memorial about the RAAF Station Sandgate

References

Sandgate Branch - RAAF Association Queensland Division
* National Archives of Australia - RAAF Unit History sheets Operations Record Book - Station Sandgate Dec 40 - Nov 44 Sandgate Queensland in World War II {{mil-aviation-stub