Castle Hill WW2 Explore
📅 Wednesday 1 October 2025 4:30 pm
📍 Location: Castle Hill
About this event
Castle Hill WWII relics loop (Townsville)
Leader: Luen Warneke
Grade: Moderate (off-track sections, rock slabs, prickly scrub).
Distance / time: ~8 km, ~3.5 hrs.
Ascent: ~380–450 m.
Start/finish: Lower car park at Cutharinga (Cutheringa) Track trailhead, North Ward.
Best for: Fit walkers comfortable with some scrub, boulder-hopping, and short steep pinches.
Essentials: water, hat, sunscreen, head torch, long sleeves/leggings, sturdy shoes with grip, small first-aid kit, phone.
Etiquette & safety: Relics an old, please respect. Expect loose concrete, rusty steel, unfenced edges, snakes, heat. Stay with the group, especially on the off-track legs.
Please RSVP by emailing Luen ([email protected]) and filling out this form: https://forms.gle/Ahf2UdQivEm2hcEd8
Bring a headtorch!
Route at a glance:
- Cutharinga trailhead → Ammo Bunker → Erythrina Track road bend
- WWII searchlight tower site & camp terraces
- Ladies Track → summit pillboxes & command post
- Dianella Track → Triandra Track → quarry
- West End stone fortifications (Francis/Sidney St foothills)
- Green Street / Sidney Street “Project 81” bunker (SES) & COIC site
- Off-track traverse to West Ridge Track → Castle Hill Rd
- Road descent back to Cutharinga car park
Turn-by-turn with “trinkets” of history:
1) Cutharinga trailhead to Erythrina Track bend (20–25 min)
From the lower car park, check out the Ammo Bunker, then walk up Castle Hill Rd ~700 m to the signed Erythrina Track bend. Quick regroup.
Trinket: In 1942 the road was closed to the public while fortifications were built. Materials and men were hauled up by hand; concrete was mixed on-site on narrow ledges with vertical drops on three sides.
2) Searchlight tower site & camp terraces (10 min explore)
Duck onto Erythrina; a short side path/worn pads head to a cleared knoll where the searchlight emplacement sat (concrete pads still visible). Fan out respectfully to spot camp terraces.
Trinket: An Australian Women’s Army Service photo shows AWAS polishing the huge mirror here, the beam sweeping out to Cape Pallarenda and Magnetic Island to pick up enemy aircraft and guide guns. The site was camouflaged; post-war it became a notorious “lovers’ lane”.
3) Ladies Track to summit pillboxes & command post (30–40 min)
Rejoin Erythrina briefly, then hook onto Ladies Track to the top precinct. Visit the pillboxes/observation posts and the cliff-edge command post site (fenced edges—supervise closely).
Trinket: Built by the Queensland Main Roads Commission, the summit command post maintained constant comms with RAN Station 21 on Magnetic Island. Infantry units rotated manning through 1942 before handover to artillery observers.
4) Summit to Dianella → Triandra → quarry (35–45 min + 15 min explore)
Descend Dianella Track (steep, loose in places) to the Triandra junction. Follow Triandra toward the old quarry benches.
Trinket: Pre- and post-war quarrying left faces later repurposed for military odds-and-ends. You’ll see drilled holes and strange recesses; many “tunnel” rumours persist, but most voids are quarry features or drainage.
5) West End stone fortifications (20–25 min explore)
From the quarry edge, take pads and open rock down toward Francis/Sidney Street gullies (leader to pick the least-scrubby line). Explore the stone walls, terraces, and “gun-port”-like openings.
Trinket: Long thought to be military, these are largely the remnants of a pre-war residence (75 Francis St)—pool wall with overflow “ports”, garden beds, and foundations. Military cable offcuts and bottles found nearby suggest signals activity passed through this area during the war.
6) Green Street / “Project 81” bunker & COIC site (30–40 min including road moves)
Walk the footpaths/streets to Green/Sidney Street. View only: the big concrete bunker behind the SES compound (no entry). Continue to the berm above where the Combined Operational Intelligence Centre (COIC) sat inside the hill (the entrance is long sealed; observe from public land only).
Trinket: Approved 12 March 1942 and finished in ~12 weeks, Project 81 housed the North-Eastern Area Air Operations Room, cipher and signals. It was air-conditioned, with a fake “house” on the roof (complete with clothesline) for aerial camouflage. Veterans recall a Perspex plotting board and secure lines to coastwatchers. Persistent stories tell of tunnels heading toward the hospital; evidence remains anecdotal.
7) Off-track traverse to West Ridge Track → Castle Hill Rd (40–60 min)
From the Green/Sidney Street area, contour off-track across the lower West End slopes aiming to intersect West Ridge Track. Expect spear grass, lantana patches, and short slabby steps. Climb West Ridge to meet Castle Hill Rd.
Leader notes: Keep the group tight through scrub; carry/secateurs for a quick snip where humane. Avoid private yards—stay on public reserve.
Trinket: West Ridge hosted scattered MG pits and OPs covering Belgian Gardens and The Strand. Oral histories place a camouflaged HQ up-slope from the officers’ messes on Stagpole St.
8) Road descent to Cutharinga (10-15 min)
Follow the bitumen down to the start car park. Debrief and boot-shake.
Access, permissions & hazards
Green/Sidney Street bunker (SES): No entry. View from the street; respect the facility and neighbours.
Relic safety: Do not enter bunkers or climb on roofs/walls. Concrete can be undermined; steel is sharp and brittle.
Heat & exposure: Minimal shade.
Wildlife: Snakes, wasps, and the odd scrub turkey ambush at lunch.
Phones & PLBs: Mobile coverage is generally good.
Bring a head torch.
Leader briefing points (use on the day)
“Townsville’s hidden war”—we’ll connect air defence, signals, and camouflage stories to physical places.
Group conduct: We stick together on off-track and at cliff edges.
Contingencies: Hot day? Skip the West End Stone Building and West Ridge off-track. Instead, return via road/formed tracks.
Leave No Trace: Photos only; don’t remove artefacts. These sites are rare in Australia—respect for future generations.
Optional pre-read links for participants:
Wanderstories: overview of Townsville WWII relics and site etiquette. https://wanderstories.space/ww2-bunkers-townsville/
“Australia @ War” (Peter Dunn): background on Project 81, COIC, searchlight sites, and Castle Hill command post. https://www.ozatwar.com/
Leader: Luen Warneke
Grade: Moderate (off-track sections, rock slabs, prickly scrub).
Distance / time: ~8 km, ~3.5 hrs.
Ascent: ~380–450 m.
Start/finish: Lower car park at Cutharinga (Cutheringa) Track trailhead, North Ward.
Best for: Fit walkers comfortable with some scrub, boulder-hopping, and short steep pinches.
Essentials: water, hat, sunscreen, head torch, long sleeves/leggings, sturdy shoes with grip, small first-aid kit, phone.
Etiquette & safety: Relics an old, please respect. Expect loose concrete, rusty steel, unfenced edges, snakes, heat. Stay with the group, especially on the off-track legs.
Please RSVP by emailing Luen ([email protected]) and filling out this form: https://forms.gle/Ahf2UdQivEm2hcEd8
Bring a headtorch!
Route at a glance:
- Cutharinga trailhead → Ammo Bunker → Erythrina Track road bend
- WWII searchlight tower site & camp terraces
- Ladies Track → summit pillboxes & command post
- Dianella Track → Triandra Track → quarry
- West End stone fortifications (Francis/Sidney St foothills)
- Green Street / Sidney Street “Project 81” bunker (SES) & COIC site
- Off-track traverse to West Ridge Track → Castle Hill Rd
- Road descent back to Cutharinga car park
Turn-by-turn with “trinkets” of history:
1) Cutharinga trailhead to Erythrina Track bend (20–25 min)
From the lower car park, check out the Ammo Bunker, then walk up Castle Hill Rd ~700 m to the signed Erythrina Track bend. Quick regroup.
Trinket: In 1942 the road was closed to the public while fortifications were built. Materials and men were hauled up by hand; concrete was mixed on-site on narrow ledges with vertical drops on three sides.
2) Searchlight tower site & camp terraces (10 min explore)
Duck onto Erythrina; a short side path/worn pads head to a cleared knoll where the searchlight emplacement sat (concrete pads still visible). Fan out respectfully to spot camp terraces.
Trinket: An Australian Women’s Army Service photo shows AWAS polishing the huge mirror here, the beam sweeping out to Cape Pallarenda and Magnetic Island to pick up enemy aircraft and guide guns. The site was camouflaged; post-war it became a notorious “lovers’ lane”.
3) Ladies Track to summit pillboxes & command post (30–40 min)
Rejoin Erythrina briefly, then hook onto Ladies Track to the top precinct. Visit the pillboxes/observation posts and the cliff-edge command post site (fenced edges—supervise closely).
Trinket: Built by the Queensland Main Roads Commission, the summit command post maintained constant comms with RAN Station 21 on Magnetic Island. Infantry units rotated manning through 1942 before handover to artillery observers.
4) Summit to Dianella → Triandra → quarry (35–45 min + 15 min explore)
Descend Dianella Track (steep, loose in places) to the Triandra junction. Follow Triandra toward the old quarry benches.
Trinket: Pre- and post-war quarrying left faces later repurposed for military odds-and-ends. You’ll see drilled holes and strange recesses; many “tunnel” rumours persist, but most voids are quarry features or drainage.
5) West End stone fortifications (20–25 min explore)
From the quarry edge, take pads and open rock down toward Francis/Sidney Street gullies (leader to pick the least-scrubby line). Explore the stone walls, terraces, and “gun-port”-like openings.
Trinket: Long thought to be military, these are largely the remnants of a pre-war residence (75 Francis St)—pool wall with overflow “ports”, garden beds, and foundations. Military cable offcuts and bottles found nearby suggest signals activity passed through this area during the war.
6) Green Street / “Project 81” bunker & COIC site (30–40 min including road moves)
Walk the footpaths/streets to Green/Sidney Street. View only: the big concrete bunker behind the SES compound (no entry). Continue to the berm above where the Combined Operational Intelligence Centre (COIC) sat inside the hill (the entrance is long sealed; observe from public land only).
Trinket: Approved 12 March 1942 and finished in ~12 weeks, Project 81 housed the North-Eastern Area Air Operations Room, cipher and signals. It was air-conditioned, with a fake “house” on the roof (complete with clothesline) for aerial camouflage. Veterans recall a Perspex plotting board and secure lines to coastwatchers. Persistent stories tell of tunnels heading toward the hospital; evidence remains anecdotal.
7) Off-track traverse to West Ridge Track → Castle Hill Rd (40–60 min)
From the Green/Sidney Street area, contour off-track across the lower West End slopes aiming to intersect West Ridge Track. Expect spear grass, lantana patches, and short slabby steps. Climb West Ridge to meet Castle Hill Rd.
Leader notes: Keep the group tight through scrub; carry/secateurs for a quick snip where humane. Avoid private yards—stay on public reserve.
Trinket: West Ridge hosted scattered MG pits and OPs covering Belgian Gardens and The Strand. Oral histories place a camouflaged HQ up-slope from the officers’ messes on Stagpole St.
8) Road descent to Cutharinga (10-15 min)
Follow the bitumen down to the start car park. Debrief and boot-shake.
Access, permissions & hazards
Green/Sidney Street bunker (SES): No entry. View from the street; respect the facility and neighbours.
Relic safety: Do not enter bunkers or climb on roofs/walls. Concrete can be undermined; steel is sharp and brittle.
Heat & exposure: Minimal shade.
Wildlife: Snakes, wasps, and the odd scrub turkey ambush at lunch.
Phones & PLBs: Mobile coverage is generally good.
Bring a head torch.
Leader briefing points (use on the day)
“Townsville’s hidden war”—we’ll connect air defence, signals, and camouflage stories to physical places.
Group conduct: We stick together on off-track and at cliff edges.
Contingencies: Hot day? Skip the West End Stone Building and West Ridge off-track. Instead, return via road/formed tracks.
Leave No Trace: Photos only; don’t remove artefacts. These sites are rare in Australia—respect for future generations.
Optional pre-read links for participants:
Wanderstories: overview of Townsville WWII relics and site etiquette. https://wanderstories.space/ww2-bunkers-townsville/
“Australia @ War” (Peter Dunn): background on Project 81, COIC, searchlight sites, and Castle Hill command post. https://www.ozatwar.com/
👥 Attending: 3
❤️ Interested: 9