Papakura Military Camp
Military camp in New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
| 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)  Papakura Military Camp Location within New Zealand | |
| Coordinates | 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 |
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 2001–2002 a new base for the New Zealand Special Air Service was built at Papakura; the facility was named Rennie Lines, after the founding NZSAS Commanding Officer Major Frank Rennie, and officially opened on 14 December 2002.[7][8]
In the early 2000s some land surrounding the camp was set aside for new housing developments by the Papakura District Council.[6]
