Templeton's Crossing is a locality on the

Kokoda Track The Kokoda Track or Trail is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs overland – in a straight line – through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The track was the location of the 1942 World War II battle between Japane ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

. The original track, at the start of the

Kokoda Track campaign The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 in what was then the Australian Territory of Papua. It was primar ...

, proceeded north from Kagi and crossed over the

watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...

of the

Owen Stanley Range The Owen Stanley Range is the south-eastern part of the central mountain-chain in Papua New Guinea. Its highest point is Mount Victoria at , while its most prominent peak is Mount Suckling. History Owen Stanley Range was seen in 1849 by Captai ...

as it passed through "the Gap" – skirting the eastern side of Mount Bellamy. The track then proceeded north through the steep-sided Eora Creek valley. Templeton's Crossing is where the original track first crosses Eora Creek. It was named by (then) Lieutenant Bert Kienzle in memory of Captain Sam Templeton. Templeton commanded B Company, 39th Battalion. It was the first of the battalion's companies to deploy overland for the defence of Kokoda – arriving shortly before the Japanese landings. Templeton was killed in the early stages of the Japanese advance. Kienzle was an officer of the

Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit The Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) was a civil administration of Territory of Papua and the Mandated Territory of New Guinea formed on 21 March 1942 during World War II. The civil administration of both Papua and the Mand ...

, that had been tasked, among other things, to establish supply dumps and staging points along the track. In the course of this, he was to guide Templeton's B Company over the track as it deployed. When the drop zone at

Myola Myola is a locality on the Kokoda Track in the Territory of Papua and the modern state of New Guinea. It is one of two closely located dry lake beds located near where the Kokoda Track crosses the crest of the Owen Stanley Range – also known ...

was identified by Kienzle, the main route used by the Australian forces was diverted through this important supply point, cutting a new section of track. Kienzle named the "crossing" after cutting the route from Myola, north. The route north from Myola first follows the Myola Ridge, before descending to cross Eora Creek at a point about an equal march between Myola and Templeton's Crossing. A supply dump, Dump 1, was established there. Rather than following the creek from there, the track crosses a ridge as it heads toward Templeton's Crossing. Confusingly, the site of Dump 1 has, in some sources, been identified as "Templeton's Crossing No 1" while the original crossing is called "Templeton's Crossing No 2". This appears to have originated from "Longitudinal section of the Kokoda Trail" produced in 1978 by the "Department of Works and Supply". Templeton's Crossing is associated with two battles of the Kokoda Track campaign of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

fought between Australians of

Maroubra Force Maroubra Force was the name given to the ad hoc Australian infantry force that defended Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from the Japanese, and was involved in the Kokoda Track Campaign of the Pacific War, World War II. The force was established b ...

and Japanese troops. Both battles consisted of a series of engagements that occurred in the upper reaches of the Eora Creek valley. The first battle was fought from 31 August 1942 to 5 September 1942, as the Australian forces were withdrawing in the face of the Japanese advance. The second battle was fought from 11 to 28 October 1942, as the Australian forces pursued the Japanese forces withdrawing back to the north coast of Papua. In each battle, a significant engagement was fought in the vicinity of Templeton's Crossing.

References

;Notes ;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * * * {{cite book, last=McCarthy, first=Dudley, title=South-West Pacific Area – First Year, series=Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army, volume=5, publisher=Australian War Memorial, location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, year=1959, url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070204/, oclc=3134247 Territory of Papua