"CRAIGROYSTON"
160 BOWEN TERRACE, BRISBANE
HQ FOR AIB'S SECTION B
SECRET INTELLIGENCE AUSTRALIA (SIA)

The Headquarters for the Allied Intelligence Bureau's "Section B - Secret Intelligence Australia (SIA) was located at "Craigroyston" in Bowen Terrace on the corner of Harcourt Street, in the suburb of New Farm in Brisbane not far from the New Farm wharves. SIA's training headquarters was at Newman House at Caboolture, just north of Brisbane. Captain Kendall was stationed at "Craigroyston". SIA undertook "especially secret operations in areas under enemy control". Craigroyston was often  referred to as the "Officer's Training Depot".

Photo: via John Waller

"Craigroyston" with Harcourt Street running upwards to the
left and Bowen Terrace running across the top of the photo.

 "Craigroyston" was designed in 1907 by Robin Dods for Peter Macgregor. Apparently some photographs of the house appear in "The Home" dated 1 August 1925 (vol 6, no 4, p 42, 1925.)

Immediately before the war "Craigroyston" was in use as a Baby Welfare and Mothercraft home. The house was demolished and was replaced by a unit development in the early 1970s. Prior to demolition it had been divided up into a number of flats. Some of the original brickwork fence remains.

Photo: via John Waller

"Craigroyston" in the 1960

NOTE:- When you do a search for 160 Bowen Terrace on Google Earth it puts the location on the comer of Kent Street rather than Harcort Street. It was definitely on corner of Harcourt Street as per the advertisement below.

Advertisement 19 August 1939 Courier Mail

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Cameron Bruhn and John Waller who are also researching "Craigroyston". 

Can someone tell me more about "Craigroyston" during WW2?

Were you based at "Craigroyston" during WW2?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 28 November 2000

This page last updated 24 September 2023