Ayr had three Air Raid Shelters. Home Hill had two. These were known as Surface Air Raid Shelters with a floor above ground, while the Trench Shelter is a covered trench or tunnel below ground. The latter was to be used in Schools and household gardens.
World War II was declared on September 1, 1939, and by September and October of that year, authorities were already establishing Air Raid Precautions (ARP), with emphasis on Air Raid Wardens, their duties and construction of Air Raid Shelters in Australia and Queensland. The Ayr Shire Council (Burdekin Shire Council) were discussing air raid shelters for folks of the district, firefighting and health services. This included Air Raid signals as well.
Sometime in 1940, people of the shire were given a model for constructing their own air raid shelters. Ayr’s model Trench Air Raid Shelter was to be constructed in Ayr ANZAC Memorial Park by the Wardens. The model for the Home Trench Air Raid Shelter was built in the grounds adjoining the Home Hill Police Station. This was seven feet below the surface, twelve feet long by eight feet wide, lined and sealed with timber with a further two feet of soil over the top. This shelter was prepared by the Home Hill Police. The public were asked only to be familiar with the construction of the shelter but not to build it yet. During 1940-41 there were various visits from ARP officials giving lessons on dealing with Air Raid Shelters, dismantling bombs and grenades.
By the end of 1941 and beginning of 1942, the war with Japan was getting closer to our shores and the Air Raid Shelters and Slit trenches were being built. The three Air Raid Shelters of Ayr were built. One was in the middle of Mackenzie Street beside the Ayr Police Station, One in Young Street in the middle of the street near the Post Office and the Electric Power Station where the Burdekin Singers are today and one in the middle of Edward Street between what was once Coutts shopping centre and the Bank of New South Wales of today, on the other side of the street. Home Hill’s two air raid shelters were in Eighth Avenue on the railway side. At one end of Eighth Avenue near where Malpass & Co had a fuel depot, closer to the Home Hill Post Office and the other end opposite the IGA building of today. Probably in the vicinity of George & Kerry McAllister’s Carrying Co. The Council also provided six stretchers and tools for the demolition squad to use. It is interesting to note that when the Home Hill Air Raid Shelters were being built in January 1942, they had labourers from Ayr to carry out the work and the Home Hill people complained. The trenches for the Home Hill Schools were being dug at the same time. People were also digging their own private trenches around the Ayr and Home Hill districts. There is no evidence in the papers of Giru having Air raid Shelters but I suspect the citizens to that district were also busy digging their Air Raid Shelters as well.
There was a continuing struggle between the Government and Council about who would pay for the construction of these air raid shelters as well as the demolition of the air raid shelters at the end of the war. One time the Government was to pay half, but I think the Council ended with a loan from the Government and they had 12 months to pay it off.
All businesses with glass windows fronting the main streets had to be made shatterproof with sandbags and taped windows the order of the day. Schools in February had not opened for pupils because of the threat of invasion. In March, the children were back at school.
In March, the Ayr Hospital was being built and the boiler room of the hospital became the air raid shelter as well. The room measured 30ft by 20ft by 8ft deep. The rails were bricked in and a roofing 15 inches thick was provided. There was an outcry of brown outs as the lighting was stopped. You could not even use the lights from the vehicle to see your way.
Hand air raid sirens were used at first but soon became electrified. The police were in charge of using the sirens. On a Sunday and Tuesday, the drill of the air raid sirens was carried out. There was one siren for going into the nearest Air Raid Shelter and one when it was all over. By the way, Brandon and Kalamia had their own Air Raid Trenches. Brandon had acquired a hand held siren Senior Sergeant Sproule advised that on hearing Air Raid Siren sounding all people except wardens were to move to the public and private shelters provided and if insufficient or not available the people were to move to the nearest government building or business houses. The business houses were to remain open for that purpose. The drivers of vehicles will drive their vehicle outside of the main street to the side street, park them and take cover. Horses in horse drawn vehicles were to be tied up in a safe place and not left in the shafts of the vehicles. Hospital patients and children at schools to take cover in the shelters provided. Remember that fuel for vehicles was rationed so it was back to the horse and wagon stage. The butcher shops in Ayr and it could have been in the other towns of the shire stopped delivering meat, because of fuel rationing. Listening to folks of the time, I should say the Black Market was thriving.
Sometime in 1943, the threat of air raids in Queensland had passed. As early as January 1945, discussions of what would be done to remove the Air Raid Shelters from the Ayr-Burdekin Shire. The end of war arrived September 2, 1945 and still much talking went on as to the removal of the Air Raid Shelters in the town areas of Ayr and Home Hill. One suggestion was that the Air Raid Shelter in Young Street near the Post Office and Electric Power House be turned into a shelter for the bus stop. The buses of the district picked up and delivered their passengers here. That was not to be. It was not until 1947-48 that the air raid shelters of Ayr and Home Hill were finally demolished. On the Ayr side of the Burdekin River, some of the air shelters were used as road fill at Pfitzenmaier’s Crossing on the road to Phillip’s Camp (a fishing place on Ana Branch). The Home Hill shelters were removed to a lagoon just past the Home Hill Golf Course.
Contributed by Glenis Cislowski
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