Papakura Military Camp
| Papakura Military Camp | |
|---|---|
| Papakura North, New Zealand | |
 Long Range Desert Group Memorial at Papakura Camp | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Army Camp |
| Owner | New Zealand Defence Force |
| Controlled by |  New Zealand Army |
| Location | |
.svg.png)  Papakura Military Camp Location within New Zealand | |
| Coordinates | 37°02′59″S 174°56′39″E / 37.0497°S 174.9441°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1939 |
| Built by | Sir William Stevenson |
| In use | 1939–present |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | New Zealand Special Air Service |
Papakura Military Camp is a New Zealand Army military camp located in the Auckland suburb of Papakura North, in northern New Zealand. Originally built as a mobilisation training camp at the beginning of World War II, it is now the base for the 1st New Zealand Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment and support services.
History
On 16 August 1939[1] work began on the construction of a large military training mobilisation centre on the outskirts of Papakura, with training facilities for 6000 men.[2] The Papakura centre was the last of three planned mobilisation camps, constructed after the camps at Burnham and Trentham.
Originally known as the Papakura mobilisation camp,[3] it was the first New Zealand Army camp to be built with a water-borne sewage system and refrigerated cookhouses.[4] The site chosen for the camp was compulsorily purchased from the McLennan family under the Public Works Act for defence purposes.[1]
In November 1939, 700 soldiers of the 18th Battalion moved in. Travelling by train from Hopuhopu Camp they arrived at Tironui Railway Station then marched to the camp.[1][5]
The camp was closed from 1992 to 2002.[1][6]
In the early 2000s some land surrounding the camp was set aside for new housing developments by the Papakura District Council.[6]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 "16 August 1939". Manukau's Journey. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Work Begun". Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 193, 17 August 1939, Page 12. 17 August 1939.
- ↑ "Papakura Council". Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 215, 12 September 1939, Page 3. 12 September 1939.
- ↑ "NZDF - Papakura Military Camp".
- ↑ "In New Home. Men at Papakura. Hopuhopu Troops. Transfer of Battalion". Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 264, 8 November 1939, Page 5. 8 November 1939.
- 1 2 "Papakura and the rural south-east". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
Further reading
- Crosby, Ron (2009). NZSAS: The First Fifty Years. Viking. ISBN 978-0-67-007424-2.