Public Air Raid Shelter, Landsborough Railway Station

The reinforced concrete air-raid shelter at the Landsborough Railway Station was built in 1942 to provide shelter to waiting passengers, in the event of a Japanese air raid during World War II. The Department of Public Works and Queensland Railways collaborated on the design. At this time, Landsborough station saw increased activity due to the military camps in the area. An Australian Imperial Force bulk store was erected in Landsborough in May 1941. The Royal Australian Navy had a signal station at Caloundra Head and the Americans had a Radar Training School at Caloundra. Australian artillery units trained at Battery Hill inland from Dickey Beach. In all there were about 2000 American and up to 10,000 Australian troops in the Landsborough Shire before the training camps were relocated to the Atherton Tableland. Obviously the air-raid shelter could not have accommodated these numbers of troops, although presumably their presence would have increased the probability of attack. The provision of air-raid shelters at train stations was prioritised under the Protection of Persons and Property Order No.1, gazetted 23 December 1941. The North Coast line was home to 23 shelters during the war, but Landsborough and Maryborough are the only ones to survive.