A block away from our apartment and overlooking the Brisbane River is Somerville House. Established in 1899 as the Brisbane High School for Girls, the school was eventually named after the Scottish scientific writer, Mary Somerville (1780–1872). The school is now known as one of the most prestigious girls’ schools in Queensland, and we were able to tour it today.
On Saturday January 24, 1942, military authorities visited Somerville House with a plan of utilizing it for the war effort. The school was officially commandeered by the Australian Military Forces on February 1, 1942 and later used as Base Section Three Headquarters of the United States Army East Asian Command for the duration of WWII.
Spanning three generations, our Auntie Fran, her mother, and her daughter Rowena all went to school here. Today Fran arranged for us to have a tour with Ms. Petrina Gilmore, the Director of Philanthropy. It was marvelous seeing the old buildings and library and be regaled with Fran’s personal stories from her time there. It was a wonderful walk through time.
