Interpretive signage for the Old Army Camp was officially launched in Brighton recently, creating a new life for a valu­able historic site.

Brighton Council was ap­proached by the Rotary Club of Brighton in 2020 with the idea of installing the interpretation panels to tell the history and stories of the site. As the site is an important part of the wider Brighton community, Council agreed to provide $10,000 in funding toward the project.

The project was led by Neil Stewart from the Rotary Club of Brighton and Derek Hall-Jones who designed and meticulously researched the content for the panels. Derek took a leading role in overseeing the produc­tion of the panels and together with the Brighton Council works crew, he aided the instal­lation of the panels on site.

At the launch event in March, Brighton Mayor Leigh Gray shared, “A sincere thank you to you both Stewart and Derek for ensuring the quality and engag­ing nature of this work that is now here for all to discover and enjoy.” The mayor also thanked Scott Percey, Works Manager at Brighton Council, and his team for the fine job of installing the corten steel bases for the panels. The interpretive signage was unveiled by Mr Michael Cooke and the mayor.

The interpretive signage panels tell the history and stories of the site at every stage from pal­awa culture and the Tasmanian Aboriginal nations that passed through and inhabited the Ku­talayna/Jordan River region.

They also showcase the site’s time as an airport, army hos­pital, army training camp and in more recent times, housing for refugees from Kosovar. The army camp was closed in 2006 but as many are aware, the site is historically and culturally significant for the Brighton municipal area. This important project ensures that those who are new to the area or just pass­ing by can learn the history and stories surrounding this site as they are a valuable part of our history as Tasmanians and local Brighton residents.

“We are extremely grateful to the Rotary Club of Brighton for the hard work that has been put into making sure these stories and the history are here for all to see and understand,” Mayor Gray said.

If you’d like to check out the Old Army Camp site and the new informative panels, head to Menin Drive, Brighton.