Unit Information
Mission
The mission of the Defence Force School of Signals is to provide the Communications Information Systems and Electronic Warfare training and doctrine, in order to satisfy operational requirements of the Austrailian Defence Organisation.
Unit History
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL OF SIGNALS 1906 - 2006
Before the advent of self-contained signals units the complement of signallers was on a regimental basis, each unit having on its establishment a proportion of regimental signallers. Great attention was paid to the training of these personnel; prizes and badges were awarded to those qualifying at what was known as a signalling school. Instruction was imparted by a staff officer designated 'Inspector of Signalling'. Citizens Military Force (CMF) Training was conducted by volunteers from the Permanent Military Forces (PMF) on weekend training camps and morning and afternoon training conducted in local drill halls.
Prior to WW2 signals courses were organised by the Royal Australian Corps of Engineers as they were required by signals units, Courses were conducted wherever a suitable location could be found, such locations included South Melbourne, Caulfield, and Bendigo in Victoria and Chowder Bay, Liverpool and Tamworth in NSW to name just a few.
The first formal Army School of Signals was established at Victoria Barracks in Melbourne on the 1st of October 1936. The school was given a brief to disseminate knowledge of signals tactics and organisation; train warrant officers, non-commissioned officers , and soldiers of the Permanent Military Forces (PMF) in communications techniques and procedures; produce instructors for the Citizens Military Force (CMF); repair, calibrate or redesign equipment; and to perform any special duties required by Army Headquarters. It's first courses were in General Signals, Line Construction, Regimental Signalling, Wireless and electrical fitting including Instrument Maintenance. These courses were to form the trades that we know today.
The school remained at Victoria Barracks and settled into a sound routine of producing qualified signallers, however the School of Signals location faced uncertainty and was about to make the first of many moves.
The Artillery Barracks at Georges Heights in Sydney was chosen as the schools next location and in August 1939 classes commenced. The Georges Heights location proved to be short lived as in late April 1940 the School of Signals was amalgamated with the School of Military Engineering (SME) to become a combined school located in Casula NSW.
The area that subsequently became the combined School of Military Engineering and School of Signals was virgin bushland, apart from three buildings. The first course that was conducted by the school of signals was the No. 13 Qualified Instructors course that began in mid April 1940. This course was to train selected Permanent Military Force members as qualified Signals instructors. Members who qualified were transferred to the Australian Instructional Corps with the Rank of WO2. This gave a much needed Instructional boost to the Corps.
The working day began at 0700 with PT and concluded at 1700 with night lectures being conducted twice a week. A normal working week was 6 days in length and Sunday was not necessarily used as a leave day. Night leave for staff and students was not permitted unless express authority was obtained.
Facilities for trade training of OR's was non existent at this time. Subsequently Signals Training Depots were setup to meet this training requirement in both NSW and Victoria. After OR's completed training at a Signals Recruit Training Depot, soldiers were then transferred to the Signals Depots for trade specific training. The Training Depots in both states had numerous locations and name changes during their time. This system operated throughout WW2 and it was not until the post war period that both officer and OR training became the responsibility of the School of Signals.
The School of Signals functioned at Casula until February 1942 at which time it was relocated to Bonegilla near Albury/Wodonga in Victoria and was known as the Land Force Headquarters School of Signals. Bonegilla became the senior training unit of the Corps of Signals and as such, concentrated mainly on refresher and advanced instruction for officers and courses for potential officers and non commissioned officers. Most Signals training was conducted at Bonegilla during the war, although when distances were too great to travel to Bonegilla local training facilities were used which resulted in signals schools and training depots being established around Australia, New Guinea and in the Middle East all under control of the School at Bonegilla.
In December 1945 the School was once again relocated, this time to Camp Balcombe on the Mornington Peninsula at a cost of 660 pounds. Camp Balcombe remained the home of the School of Signals until June 1970 when it was relocated to its current home at Simpson Barracks Watsonia. The current School of Signals was officially opened by the honourable Andrew Peacock who was the Minister of state for the Army on the 9th Of October 1970.
On the 9th of December, 1986, the princess Anne banner was presented to the Royal Australian Corps of Signals by the Governor General, Sir Ninian Stephen. The banner is today kept by the School of Signals and is proudly on display in the school's front foyer.
On the 8th November, 1991, a statue of Mercury was presented to the School of Signals by Telecom Australia in recognition of our "enduring friendship". This statue stands outside the main entrance of the School of Signals.
In the mid 1990's the School of Signals was renamed as the Army Communications Training Centre (ACOMMSTC), however this title was to be again changed when the Defence Force School of Signals (DFSS) was formed on the 2nd of December 2002. The school was formed from the amalgamation of the Army, Navy and Air Forces' three Communication and Information Systems training centres. The Defence Force School of Signals was formally opened by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Vice Admiral Russ Shalders at a parade to mark the occasion on the 4th December 2003.
Simpson Barracks Watsonia is now considered the home of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. The Corps heritage is now safe-guarded by the Signals Corps committee and Signals Corps Sergeants and Officers Messes located on Simpson Barracks.
The current mission of the Defence Force School of Signals is to provide the Communications Information Systems and Electronic Warfare training and doctrine, in order to satisfy operational requirements of the Australian Defence Organisation.
Author: CPL Glen McRedmond Tech Trg Wing DFSS (20 July 2006)
Simpson Barracks
Simpson Barracks Watsonia (SBW) is located 18 kilometres North-East of the CBD. SBW comprises 130 hectares of prime real estate surrounded by well established suburban development.
SBW contains significant areas of rare and indigenous fauna. There are only two other small areas of pre-European open woodlands to be found within the Heidelberg area. The area forms part of an important wildlife corridor along the Plenty River, and Banyule and Yallambie Creeks.
Aboriginal History
A sub-group of the Wawong Tribe of the Kulin Aboriginal Nation called the Wurundjeri inhabited the Heidelberg/Diamond Creek regions as well as the lands and watersheds of the Darebin and Merri Creeks. The Wawong tribe was one of the 38 Aboriginal Tribes population up to 15,000 that inhabited Victoria prior to the arrival of Europeans.
White settlers arrived in Victoria in 1834 and took over the fertile land without payment or discussion, and by 1838 friction broke out between both groups. There were frequent disputes between the settlers and the aboriginals. Whilst the aboriginals undertook guerrilla style battles, raids, stole or destroyed livestock, disrupted shearing, burned crops etc, they were no match for the settlers and their muskets.
On 12 September 1838, the sale of land in Heidelberg put an end to any rights the aborigines thought they had to the land and precipitated their decline in the area. By 1841 all of the Bullen Lagoons area, a major tribal meeting place of the Wawong and the Kulin people became private property. This became the most serious loss hitherto sustained by the aborigines. In 1847, the small remnants who remained in the area were persuaded to move to Pound Reserve near Warrandyte. With the loss of their sacred sites, the breakdown of tribal law and customs and introduced exotic diseases, the disintegration of the aboriginal race was accelerated; until by 1858, there were only 33 Wawong people at Pound Reserve.
In 1863 the Victorian Government purchased 2300 acres of land of Badgers Creek (know as Corenderrk) at Healesville and by 1865, the remaining 104 aboriginals of the Kulin nation were re-established into this area. Corenderrk also came under pressure by settlers who wanted the fertile land. In 1903, Barak, the last full blooded chief of the Wawong tribe died and their future was sealed. They lost 2000 acres of prime land and were left with 300 acres of poor swampy unsuitable soil.
The Victorian Government resolved in 1917 that all remaining aboriginals in Victoria would be settled at Lake Tyers and later in 1948, Corenderrk was by legislation taken from aboriginal control. The aboriginal interest in SBW now lies with the Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council Incorporated.
European History
In 1836 Mr Gellibrand with a party of six passed through the area in an expedition back to Geelong and named the Plenty River. The area which now includes SBW was to become part of the original Crown Portion and consisted of 970 acres. The portion was purchased by Thomas Wills on 12 September 1838, for 1067 pounds at the land sales conducted in Sydney.
Wills sold his portion to Thomas Walker in 1839 who immediately subdivided the lower sections of the land into 12 allotments. These allotments were eventually to come under the ownership of John and Robert Bakewell in 1846. The Bakewells had acquired most of the land North of Martins Lane and South of Yallambie Road, a total of 640 acres. When Robert Bakewell died in 1847 the land was leased for a short time and eventually bought in 1872 by Thomas Wragge. The property remained in the possession of the Wragge family up to the 1930s. In 1935 Dr Ainslie Meares purchased 247 acres from the Wragge family. He built his new residence of 77 squars, which was estimated to have cost 7000 pounds to build, and called the house Aldermaston (now Headquarters of the Defence Force School of Music).
Army History
In 1938 the Army requisitioned 100 acres of Meares' property for training requirements. In 1941 Army purchased this property and requisitioned the remaining 147 acres for training which it later bought in 1951. Meares House and the surrounding area were used as a medical training area and the house became a hospital. The area also included administration staff, a camp reception and transit camp for the troops. Although given the official tite of "Camp Q", by 1942 the area had become known as "Watsonia Camp".
The camp began to wind down after WW2 and by 1946 was practically deserted. Between 1946 and 1951, the area was used by the Victorian Government as an emergency housing settlement. In July 1951, the Commonwealth Government advised that it intended to re-assume control of the camp with the intention of resuming training within the area. Army re-assumed control on 1 March 1952.
Early in the 1950s plans were drawn up for the development of Watsonia Camp. The building of facilities for a Headquarters Watsonia Area (now Regional Training Centre), Southern Command Personnel Depot (now HQ 4 Brigade), Army Headquarters Signal Regiment (now 138 Signal Squadron) and the area support facilities. In the late 1960s facilities for the 2nd Signal Regiment (now 4/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse and 108th Signal Squadron) and additional area facilities were added. In 1970 the School of Signals was relocated to SBW from Balcombe.
In the 1990s many units were raised, amalgamated, renamed or disbanded. In 1996 the Streeton Views estate took approximately 25 per cent slice of the barracks area. The current area of Simpson Barracks is approximately 55 hectares.
The first married quarters (67 houses) were built in 1969 in the Gabonia Avenue are to the North of the barracks. At this time the Camp was opened to the public for the first time. In 1986 Watsonia Barracks was renamed Simpson Barracks after Major General Colin Simpson, CBE, MC, VD. A biography of Major General Colin Simpson CBE, MC, VD was expected to be released in late 2002.
