I want to talk about a local campaign soon to be initiated in my electorate of Calwell regarding a decision by this government to sell the historic Maygar Barracks site in Camp Road, Broadmeadows.
It is an important part of our local and national military history and it is on sale to the highest bidder as part of the government's fire sale of defence land, increasingly evident in various parts of the country.
The historical importance of these barracks cannot be underestimated; they have played a substantial part in the community of Broadmeadows from its inception. With the outbreak of World War I, the land near the road between Sydney Road and the train station in Broadmeadows changed from grazing land for local graziers to military use. This was the military camp where Australian troops were last stationed before leaving for their overseas engagements. It is on this site that the first diggers were trained, along with the legendary and distinguished Light Horsemen.
In fact the first 2,500 Australian Imperial Forces recruited in the first two weeks of the campaign converged on Kilda Road in Melbourne before marching to the Broadmeadows camp—a journey of about 10 miles. As time went on more volunteers streamed into the camp, literally causing a human crush on the small town of Broadmeadows. Oddly enough, it is remembered as the town's first traffic jam.
In those days the entire military enterprise was housed under canvas and rows of white tents. On a recent visit to the barracks, I enjoyed looking at some old black-and-white photographs of paddocks and tents, and of the diggers preparing for departure. The site was ideal for the purpose of massing the troops, as it was conveniently located close to the main Sydney-Melbourne train line and the all-important route of the Hume Highway. I was also told a touching story of one of the diggers who brought back some tree seeds from the infamous Gallipoli Peninsula—with the result being two very distinct cypress trees that continue to stand proud on the site.
A history of the Maygar Barracks written by Lieutenant Donaldson even claims that it is the birthplace of the word `furphy'. It was apparently taken from the name of a brand of water cart used in servicing the latrines, a job which, amongst other things, resulted in the spreading of rumours around the campsite. The term was adopted by the Australian Imperial Forces and later passed into our national lexicon.
The onset of World War II saw an increased use of the land for military supply, medical care and training. In the post World War II period, the site again served the nation—this time as a migrant hostel for the influx of displaced persons from war-torn Europe, a program initiated by then Immigration Minister, Arthur Calwell. British, German, Yugoslav, Spanish and Dutch migrants were all housed in hostels on the site. Many members of my Turkish-speaking community remember fondly coming to the barracks in the late 1960s and 1970s directly from Tullamarine airport, which is also in my electorate of Calwell, and then moving eventually into their own homes in nearby Broadmeadows and Coolaroo. The hostel remained until the mid-1970s, fuelling the immense growth of industry in the region.
Today the site remains an active military camp with a focus on recruitment and training, particularly of the reserves, but recent downsizing means there is too much surplus land—and I guess therefore the government's desire or decision to sell it. I have raised the issue of our concern about the sale of the Maygar Barracks with the Minister for Defence, who has responded to us through his parliamentary secretary, the member for McEwen—and I can say that we are not very encouraged by the response.
Recently the Commonwealth, after much community pressure, gifted 205 hectares of defence land at Point Nepean to the state government and an area of between 10 and 20 hectares to the local council, thus saving it from any future inappropriate development. In recent days, my colleague the member for Gellibrand and the Victorian Premier have indicated their opposition towards possible government moves to convert another historic site into housing: the Williamstown shipbuilding site. The Williamstown site is the birthplace of the Navy, the home of the Anzac frigates, and indeed a landmark to the local communities. This is also the case with Maygar Barracks: it is a site whose importance to the local community is palpable.
I have no hesitation in saying that my community stands with me in opposing the sale of the land and our history. I certainly hope that the government, which is currently lauding our service men and women, also proves that it too values the historical contribution of Australian service personnel. Failure to do so and a decision to proceed with the sale of the Maygar Barracks would effectively obliterate a significant part of our history.
