WWII Winnellie Camp

The WWII Winnellie Camp was constructed in 1941 to accommodate the largest concentration of military personnel in the Top End during the war. The camp was located between Hook Road and Amy Johnson Avenue and extended approximately 1.8 kilometres to the south west. A majority of the north-eastern section of the former military camp has been lost to urban and industrial development, however the south western portion overlooking Darwin Harbour contains a diverse range of WWII archaeology. This includes 32 concrete floor slabs indicating accommodation huts, mess quarters, ablution facilities, kitchens, stores and workshops. The site also contains two 10-man and a four-man latrine commonly known as flaming furies, plus drainage systems, internal roads, stone lined pathways, 15 stacked stone defence positions, 28 defensive slit trenches, a flagpole, various machinery components; and fragments of bottles, tins and ceramics. The site’s cultural remnants are considered to be significant surviving evidence of a WWII military camp in close proximity to Darwin. This rarity is significantly increased with the cultural remains and physical landscape working together to illustrate some aspects of the living conditions for the military personnel and their strategy for defence.