Newsletter 112004 April 2004 Duntroon Residential Precinct
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Newsletter 112004 April 2004 Duntroon Residential Precinct [How many readers of the Newsletter would easily With the advent in 1986 of married staff cadets at recognise this as a heading for an article about Army the RMC and the later incremental increases in staff, the married quarters? When your Editor, as a newly-promoted shortage of married quarters at Duntroon had to be faced. and newly-married captain, arrived at the top of the One expedient was to offer mamed quarters in other parts married quarter queue at the RMC in January 1953, tk (ere--- of Canberra. This all too often created work and life style was excited anticipation in the Harding family. And it Iwas difficulties such as staff cadets having to live so far from not diminished by the discovery that the quarter all01tted their work place that it was impracticable for them to was half of the hut (converted of course) in which, aIS a return home except at weekends. At the same time the staff cadet, he had undertaken part of his Signals train ling minimum standards for married quarters had been some 5-6 years earlier. Fortunately the bedrooms of the improving to the stage where some of the houses at the two halves were at opposite ends, so that inhibition on RMC no longer met them. It became clear that a major early married bliss did not arise and contentment reigned building project was needed to provide sufficient with and within the housing provided. residences on base for married staff and staff cadets. The Next July, contentment increased with the move aim was to ensure the minimum of travel time to their into a brand new 9'h square timber house - a Reilly respective places of work. Newsome (?). Erected entirely from its constituent parts The area chosen for the project was roughly taken from the very large packing case in which it had between the present RMC Sergeants' Mess and the been shipped from overseas, it was a great prize. Des]pite clubhouse of the RMC Golf Club and involved the the wood-burning kitchen stove and lounge-room fire- demolition of some of the older manied quarters already place, its efficient design made for comfortable living ,., 2nd on that site. many happy memories of an Army married cluarter. It is CInce the contract with the three builders, St still there, unoccupied and apparently unloved . The art icle Hilliers, ABA Cc )nstruction Managers and Whiteholm was below should explain why. signed, the 22 nt :w homes of Stage One were built from The information and photographs for the art icle November 2001 to May 2002 and opened by the Minister have been provided by Ken Thornton, the Communicat:ion Assisting the Minister for Defence, Mrs Danna Vale. Manager of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA). 1his Stage Two consisted of a further 100 homes to be project is an example of the success that the DHA has constructed from May 2002 to June 2003. achieved, and continues to achieve, in its commitmen1t to 'he total project, costing $23 million, resulted in provide families of the Australian Defence Force wit h a ding of 122 houses. They are a mix of detached, + +,. standard of housing equal to that which they could expec~LU se1111-uetached, terrace, duplex and town houses. A enjoy as civilians. majority are 4-bedroom dwellings with some 3-bedroom None of these observations should reflect poorly on townhouses and all have double garages. All the houses the Army of the 1950s. It was symptomatic of the severe achieve a 4-star energy rating and are designed to deliver housing shortage that prevailed throughout Australia optimal passive solar performance. They are equipped following the War of 1939-45. Many in civilian life were with ducted gas heating. Data points are provided to no better situated - in some cases much worse. bedrooms, family and some living rooms for future In the subsequent 3-4 decades married quarters connection. Sails are installed as part of the large outdoor- improved in quality and numbers, but very slowly, until 15 living courtyards. Architectural detail reflects that of the years ago when the DHA was established. Since then the homes already built within the residential area. The design standards and availability of Service housing together with of each residence enables staff and cadets at the RMC to the removals procedure have exceeded the most generous enjoy inner-city living in a 'village' atmosphere which that previous generations of Defence members could have complements Dunaoon's historic tradition and character. imagined. A not insignificant factor in this improvement Trees have been preserved wherever possible and is that some 50% of the DHA staff have a personal the existing landscape has been retained and strengthened. connexion with the Services. Indeed, graduates of the The new buildings are predominantly two-storied, reiterate RMC have been involved - one is Major General R A the themes of rendered brick walls and tiled roofs. and (Roger) Powell (Retd) (1971), currently the Genc remain consistent with the RMC 'Master Pla lced Manager, Strategy and Client Services and another more than 20 years ago. Brigadier K.J. (Kevin) O'Brien (Retd) IlQhRI\*/""/, .A*" The opening ceremony, again by Mrs vale, took Executive Manager, Servic:e Delivery. Their experience place on 31 May 2003 with some finishing work still to be blends well with 1:he comrnercial expertise of their civillian done but the quarters were ready for occupation. In the colleagues. Ed.] presence of the Commandant of the RMC, Brigadier P.M. Paramor (1976) and the Chairman of the DHA, Mr Peter Jollie, Mrs Vale spoke about the Duntroon project in particular and also about the Federal Government plans to spend more than $1 billion on new and upgraded accommodation across Australia. On behalf of DHA, a watercolour painting of the new streetscape was presented by Maggie Robinson, the Canberra Manager for the Housing Management Centre, to Brigadier Paramor to acknowledge the patience and co-operation of Duntroon during the 20-month construction period. When about to unveil the plaque commemorating the occasion, Mrs Vale enlisted the aid of 4-year-old Elleanor Everett from the audience. Elleanor is the daughter of Major T.A. and Mrs Alison Everett. Major Todd Everett (I 991) was the Second-in-Command of RMC Duntroon. That posting equates to what most readers will remember as the 2i/c of the Corps of Staff Cadets. The Duntroon Ganison now has a total of 178 houses, 56 consist of heritage and older houses and 122 are in the new precinct. The area is divided into staff and staff cadet enclaves. Not only are there the obvious changes in many of the homes that now stand in Duntroon but the presence of staff cadets in some of them represents a greater shift in the life of the RMC than does the buildings. Helping the Minister unveil the plaque during the ofJicial opening on 31 May 2003. Below and on the opposite page. Examples of the new married quarters in the Duntroon Residential Precinct The Duntroon Society Award As far as is practicable the name of each recipient of great-great-grandfather who was in the British Army and this award is recorded in the Newsletter issued after each died in action in the Khyber Pass. One of his great- graduation. With the effluxion of time, general knowledge grandfathers was in the Merchant Marine during the War of its purpose and the parameters of its role, may have of 1914-1918 (WW I) and in the Australian Army in the faded somewhat. Middle East and New Guinea in the War of 1939-45 (WW Originally proposed at the meeting of Executive 11) while another great-grandfather was in the AIF in Council on 1 August 1989, the project was developed in WWII. Two great-uncles served in the AIF in WWII and consultation with the Corps of Staff Cadets. The agreed one great-uncle was in the RAAF in WWII. Two great- guidelines were: uncles were in the RAN in WWII while another and a a. It replaced the Commandant's Prize and is now great-aunt were in the Army. Two uncles were in the RAN awarded to the graduate who has demonstrated when Lieutenant Seebohm's father was in the RAAF. extraordinary comrnihnent and dedication to training, The maternal line begins with four great great- b. The award is given fourth precedence after the great-uncles in the AIF in WWI one of whom was killed in Sword of Honour, the Queen's Medal and the action in 1915. The AIF in WW I1 had in it one of his Blamey Award. great-great-grandfathers, one-great-great-great-uncle and c. An Honour Board was established in the Cadets' four great-great uncles while a great-great-aunt served in Mess titled 'The Duntroon Society Award'. the Australian Army Women's Service. Subsequently a d. The recipient is to: great-aunt was in the WRAAC and a great-uncle and his (1) be chosen by the Commandant, grandfather were called up for National Service in the (2) receive a set of binoculars suitably engraved 1950s. and, (3) be granted free membership of the Duntroon Society for a period of five years. The first presentation was on 9 December 1990 to RMC Archives Corporal D.R. Groves who was allotted to the Australian Mr Ross Howarth, the RMC Archivist, needs Intelligence Corps and is now an instructor in the assistance. One of his current projects is to improve two Command, Staff and Operations Wing of the Land sections of the photograph collection.