After a series of successful attacks by Japanese forces, including the raid on Pearl Harbour in December 1941 and the fall of Hong Kong and Singapore, the city of Brisbane became the headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander for the South West Pacific Area.

In the US as in Britain, strategists focussed first on the war against Hitler, fought out in Europe and Africa. MacArthur had to take on Washington in order to get resources to defend Australia and turn back the Japanese advance. 

Under MacArthur’s leadership, Brisbane became a valuable staging area for a counter offensive led by American, Australian and British forces. Over the coming war years, the city’s population exploded from 350,000 to some two million troops who would pass through the region.