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44-583: The First Australian Army was a field army of the Australian Army , during World War II . The formation's headquarters was raised in April 1942 from the existing 1st Australian Corps headquarters, assuming command of all Allied troops in Queensland . Initially, the formation was assigned a defensive role in anticipation of a possible Japanese invasion; however, this threat subsided and eventually

88-725: A corps-level unit . Prior to 1945, this was the case with a gun ( 軍 ; 'army') within the Imperial Japanese Army , for which the formation equivalent in size to a field army was a hōmen-gun ( 方面軍 ; 'area army'). In the Soviet Red Army and the Soviet Air Forces , an army was subordinate in wartime to a front (an equivalent of army group ). It contained at least three to five divisions along with artillery, air defense, reconnaissance and other supporting units. It could be classified as either

132-461: A special education program. St Thomas' School is a Catholic primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 63 Constance Street ( 16°59′43″S 145°25′31″E  /  16.9952°S 145.4254°E  / -16.9952; 145.4254  ( St Thomas' School ) ). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 426 students with 33 teachers (26 full-time equivalent) and 27 non-teaching staff (15 full-time equivalent). Mareeba State High School

176-588: A tropical savanna climate ( Köppen: Aw), with a short, hot wet season from December to March and a lengthy, warm dry season from April to November. Due to its elevation, average minima are lowered: ranging from 14.0 °C (57.2 °F) in August to 21.5 °C (70.7 °F) in January to February. In addition, due to being in a rain shadow , average annual rainfall is only 875.9 mm (34.48 in). Despite Mareeba township's tagline reading "300 sunny days

220-758: A Catholic church. Both are within the Mareeba Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns . The Mareeba Mosque is at 108 Walsh Street. Mareeba is serviced by the following radio stations: Tourist attractions in the Mareeba Shire include the Golden Drop Mango Winery, Jaques Coffee Plantation, Coffee Works, Mareeba Heritage Museum, Mareeba Rock Wallabies and Granite Gorge Nature Park, Emerald Creek Falls, and Davies Creek Falls. The Mareeba Rodeo and Festival

264-523: A combined arms army (CAA) or tank army (TA); and while both were combined arms formations, the former contained a larger number of motorized rifle divisions while the latter contained a larger number of tank divisions . In peacetime, a Soviet army was usually subordinate to a military district . Modern field armies are large formations which vary significantly between armed forces in size, composition, and scope of responsibility. For instance, within NATO

308-484: A field army is composed of a headquarters, and usually controls at least two corps, beneath which are a variable number of divisions . A battle is influenced at the field army level by transferring divisions and reinforcements from one corps to another to increase the pressure on the enemy at a critical point. NATO armies are commanded by a general or lieutenant general . Mareeba, Queensland Download coordinates as: Mareeba / m ə ˈ r iː b ə /

352-717: A geographical name in addition to or as an alternative to a numerical name, such as the British Army of the Rhine , Army of the Potomac , Army of the Niemen or Aegean Army (also known as the Fourth Army). The Roman army was among the first to feature a formal field army, in the sense of a very large, combined arms formation, namely the sacer comitatus , which may be translated literally as "sacred escort". The term

396-485: A line across the base of the Gazelle Peninsula , isolating Rabaul . In northern New Guinea, they advanced from Aitape and by the end of the war had secured Wewak . Meanwhile, a rear headquarters was left behind at Mareeba, where it assumed control of all forces not assigned for operations in the upcoming Borneo Campaign , while the 1st Australian Corps was placed under direct command of Land Headquarters for

440-644: A major refurbishment in 1985 and minor refurbishment in 2013. The Mareeba branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall on the corner of Dempster Street and Wilkes Street. The Cairns Aerial Outpost branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 15 Wilson Street. St Thomas of Villanova's Catholic Church is at 59 Constance Street. St Stephen's College at Lot 3 McIver Road also has

484-850: A more offensive role developed for the First Army. In May 1944, HQ First Australian Army moved to Mareeba, Queensland , to prepare for a more active role as Australian troops began relieving US troops in New Guinea to free them up for redeployment to the Philippines. While the main elements of the First Australian Army had been deployed forward to Mareeba, the formation had maintained a rear headquarters at Chermside, Queensland . This headquarters administered several minor units in Brisbane until September 1944, when they came under

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528-498: A population of 10,181 people. In the 2016 census , the locality of Mareeba had a population of 11,079 people. Mareeba includes the largest Italian Australian community of any suburb in Queensland, numbering 1,608 individuals and making up 10.8% of the town's population. In the 2021 census , the locality of Mareeba had a population of 11,825 people. Mareeba has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Mareeba has

572-670: A staging post for battles in New Guinea and the South West Pacific theatre . The Americans referred to it as Hoevet Field in honour of Major Dean Carol "Pinky" Hoevet who was killed on 16 August 1942. Units that were based at Mareeba included No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), No. 100 Squadron RAAF , the Australian 33rd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, the 19th Bomb Group of

616-489: A year", and its reputation as a sunny place, Mareeba only receives 86.2 clear days annually. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 40.7 °C (105.3 °F) on 5 January 1994 to 0.4 °C (32.7 °F) on 28 June 1963. Temperature, rainfall and 3 pm conditions were taken from the new Mareeba Airport weather station, which opened in 2000. Meanwhile, extreme temperature data was combined from Mareeba's QWRC, old Airport and new Airport weather stations. In addition, sun data

660-405: Is a Catholic secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at 3 McIver Road ( 17°01′03″S 145°25′11″E  /  17.0176°S 145.4198°E  / -17.0176; 145.4198  ( St Stephen's Catholic College ) ). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 555 students with 57 teachers (48 full-time equivalent) and 32 non-teaching staff (22 full-time equivalent). Mareeba Hospital

704-458: Is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at Jasper Street ( 16°59′45″S 145°24′59″E  /  16.9958°S 145.4163°E  / -16.9958; 145.4163  ( Mareeba State High School ) ). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 732 students with 70 teachers (66 full-time equivalent) and 45 non-teaching staff (33 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program. St Stephen's Catholic College

748-597: Is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba in Far North Queensland , Australia. Between 2008 and 2013, it was within the Tablelands Region . The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning meeting of the waters . In the 2021 census , the locality of Mareeba had a population of 11,825 people. The town is 417 metres (1,368 ft) above sea level on the confluence of

792-499: Is also home to an Albanian Australian community that dates from the interwar period. Built by local Albanian Australians, the Mareeba Mosque was opened on Anzac Day , 1970 and is dedicated to Australian soldiers who lost their lives in war. On 24 January 2006, St Stephen's Catholic College opened after a nearly 10-year approval process regarding the provision of Catholic secondary education. In October 2011, most of

836-477: Is derived from their being commanded by Roman emperors (who were regarded as sacred), when they acted as field commanders . While the Roman comitatensis (plural: comitatenses ) is sometimes translated as "field army", it may also be translated as the more generic "field force" or "mobile force" (as opposed to limitanei or garrison units). In some armed forces, an "army" is or has been equivalent to

880-680: Is held annually, with the first Affiliated Mareeba Rodeo held in July 1949 (which is now the home ground of the Gladiators Rugby league team). The rodeo is hosted at the Kerribee Park Rodeo Grounds, located slightly out of town on route to Dimbulah. In 2014, the attendance was 13,000, almost double the town's normal population. A parade through the town is held, and the Rodeo Queen is crowned (the first Princess

924-655: Is in the Tablelands Health District. It provides 52 beds, with surgical, maternity, pediatric, outpatient, emergency and x-ray facilities. Mareeba Gladiators are the local rugby league team. The Gladiators participate in the Cairns District Rugby League competition. They last won the Premiership in 2007. Mareeba Shire Council operates a public library at 221 Byrnes Street. The library facility opened in 1958, with

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968-578: Is just north of the town today. Mareeba quickly became a busy coach stop for Cobb & Co on the road from Port Douglas to Herberton . When the railway arrived in 1893, Mareeba grew into a busy town. Mareeba Post Office opened on 25 August 1893 (a receiving office named Granite Creek had been open from 1891). A Mareeba Diggings Post Office opened by 1893 and closed in 1905. Mareeba State School opened on 28 August 1893. St Thomas of Villanova Catholic School opened on 1 January 1909. St Thomas' celebrated their centenary in 2009. The Mareeba parish of

1012-581: Is served by the following railway stations (from north to south): The Lotus Glen Correctional Centre is located in Arriga , 14 km; 9 miles outside Mareeba. Prior to European settlement, the area around Mareeba was inhabited by the Muluridji people . They maintained a hunter/gatherer existence in the area between Mount Carbine , Mareeba, Rumula (near Julatten ) and Woodville (near Canoona ), mainly concentrated between Biboohra and Mount Molloy . In

1056-500: The 11th Brigade at Merauke (Dutch New Guinea), Torres Strait Force at Thursday Island , the 4th Infantry Division at Townsville, the 3rd Armoured Division at Murgon , and the 2nd Australian Corps on the Atherton Tablelands , around Barrine, in Queensland. In late 1943, the First Australian Army consisted of 90,784 troops, with a further 41,871 personnel assigned to the Queensland line of communication area within

1100-618: The Barron River , Granite Creek and Emerald Creek. The town's main street is the Mulligan Highway which branches off from the Kennedy Highway when coming in from Cairns (63.3 km; 40 miles) away passing localities such as Speewah , Kuranda and Barron Gorge . The Tablelands railway line enters the locality from the north ( Biboohra ), passes through the town, and exits to the west ( Chewko ). The locality

1144-519: The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF), the 43rd Bomb Group USAAF and the 8th Fighter Group USAAF . For a period of two years during World War II, Mareeba State School was taken over by the army, so St Thomas’ Catholic School accommodated the entire school population of Mareeba. Mareeba Library opened in 1958. It underwent a major refurbishment in 1985. Mareeba State High School opened on 25 January 1960. Mareeba

1188-578: The 1st Australian Corps was sent to New Guinea in August 1942 and became known as New Guinea Force , the 2nd Australian Corps moved to Esk, Queensland , and New South Wales came under the Second Australian Army . Two US infantry divisions – the 32nd and 41st – were also assigned to the First Australian Army for periods during this time, having been moved north and transferred from the Second Australian Army earlier in

1232-667: The 2nd Australian Corps on Bougainville, the 5th Infantry Division on New Britain, the 6th Infantry Division at Aitape and the 8th Infantry Brigade at Madang . On Bougainville, New Britain and around Aitape, the Australians undertook limited offensive operations. This saw them secure the northern part of the island up to the Bonis Peninsula , and advance south on Bougainville towards the main Japanese strong hold around Buin , while on New Britain they were able to establish

1276-477: The First Army had seven Australian divisions: 1st Infantry , 2nd Infantry , 3rd Infantry , 5th Infantry , 7th Infantry , 10th Infantry and 1st Motor . HQ First Australian Army controlled the 5th Infantry Division in Townsville , Queensland, the new 1st Australian Corps (ex HQ Southern Command ) defending South Queensland, and 2nd Australian Corps (ex HQ Eastern Command ) defending New South Wales. When

1320-753: The Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Cooktown (now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns) was established in 1911. Ambulance services commenced in Mareeba in 1922 with an honorary ambulance officer issued with a first-aid kit . In 1942, Mareeba acquired a rail ambulance to transport patients by train. It was one of the last rail ambulances in Queensland with its last patient transported in 1983. From 1942 to 1945 during World War II , up to 10,000 Australian and US service personnel used Mareeba Airfield as

1364-476: The army was deployed to Lae , in New Guinea , in late 1944, where it co-ordinated Australian offensives around Aitape , in New Guinea, on New Britain and Bougainville , and around Madang . The formation was disbanded in February 1946, when it was redesignated as the 8th Military District . The First Australian Army's headquarters was formed at Toowoomba , Queensland, on 15 April 1942 when its headquarters

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1408-512: The army's assigned boundary. These troops came under the First Army for operational purposes, but were administered separately by Land Headquarters. Upon formation, the First Australian Army's role had been focused on defending against a possible Japanese invasion, and assumed the main operational responsibility for this over the Second Army, which over time became focused mainly on training and lesser command roles. But as this threat subsided,

1452-433: The control of the Second Australian Army. At this time the army's rear headquarters rejoined headquarters main at Mareeba. In October 1944, the main element of the army's headquarters moved under Lieutenant General Vernon Sturdee , to Lae , in the Australian territory of New Guinea , where it was tasked with undertaking operations across a broad area including Bougainville , New Britain and Aitape . Here they controlled

1496-579: The following formations: The First Australian Army was commanded by the following officers during the war: Field army Specific field armies are usually named or numbered to distinguish them from "army" in the sense of an entire national defence force or land force. In English , the typical orthographic style for writing out the names field armies is word numbers , such as "First Army"; whereas corps are usually distinguished by Roman numerals (e.g. I Corps) and subordinate formations with ordinal numbers (e.g. 1st Division). A field army may be given

1540-412: The hub, researching tropical agriculture , aquaculture and biosecurity . The hub opened on 16 December 2011. At the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum the town overwhelmingly voted No. 85% of Mareeba's residents voted No which was one of the largest proportion of No votes in the country. At the 2006 census , Mareeba had a population of 6,806 people. In the 2011 census , Mareeba had

1584-549: The land (209 hectares; 516 acres) of the former state farm / research station at Kairi was sold by the Queensland Government , retaining only 26 hectares (65 acres). The sale of the land was to fund the establishment of the Agri-Science Hub at Peters Street in Mareeba. The hub focusses on agricultural research and development, together with education and training. James Cook University is a partner of

1628-558: The local Aboriginal language, Mareeba means meeting of the waters - referring to the point at which the Barron River is joined by Granite Creek. On 26 May 1875 James Venture Mulligan became the first European officially to see the future site of Mareeba when he rode up the eastern bank of the Barron River, and passed the junctions of Emerald Creek and Granite Creek. The Mareeba area was first settled by Europeans in 1877 by John Atherton , who arrived with cattle at Emerald End, which

1672-538: The local economy, but is no longer grown within the Mareeba shire. Tourism also contributes to the local economy. Mareeba State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at Constance Street ( 16°59′31″S 145°25′30″E  /  16.9919°S 145.4249°E  / -16.9919; 145.4249  ( Mareeba State School ) ). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 866 students with 69 teachers (64 full-time equivalent) and 48 non-teaching staff (33 full-time equivalent). In includes

1716-427: The operation. The rear headquarters remained in existence until January 1945, when the 11th Division 's headquarters assumed its duties. The HQ First Australian Army was disbanded in February 1946 when it was redesignated as the 8th Military District . Upon formation in April 1942, the First Australian Army consisted of the following formations: In October 1944, the First Australian Army's deployed units consisted of

1760-644: The third Sunday of January, St Thomas's Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Santo Nino which celebrates Jesus as a child. The event is of special significance to the Filipino Australians . After the Mass , there is a celebratory meal of Filipino cuisine . Each year, on the second Sunday of September, St Thomas's Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of the Chain. The celebration begins with

1804-511: The year; nevertheless, these divisions were transferred to the US I Corps from September 1942, and were increasingly divorced from the First Australian Army's control, with this separation being formalised in February 1943 when the US Sixth Army headquarters was established in Brisbane. During 1942 and 1943, the units under the formation's command varied, and by August 1943, they controlled

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1848-577: Was crowned in 1959). A ute muster is often staged over the same weekend as the rodeo. In 1999 Mareeba District Rodeo Association Inc. celebrated their 50 years Golden Jubilee of the foundation of the Association and 20 years of the opening of "Kerribee Park". The FNQ Country Music Festival and Talent Search is held annually at Kerribee Park Rodeo Grounds. The event is hosted by the Walkamin Country Music Club. Each year on

1892-627: Was raised from the former Headquarters (HQ) 1st Australian Corps , which had been formed in January 1940 in Melbourne, before deploying to the Middle East with the Second Australian Imperial Force . Under the command of Lieutenant General John Lavarack , the formation subsumed the previous Northern and Eastern Commands, and was based in Queensland and New South Wales. Split into two corps – 1st and 2nd – initially

1936-480: Was taken from Walkamin Research Station, 7.1 km south of the town. Numerous crops are grown throughout Mareeba Shire , including avocados , mangoes , lychees , longans , sugar cane , cashews , macadamias , bananas , pineapples , tea tree oil , coffee , cotton and a variety of vegetables and tropical fruits . Poultry and cattle are also common. Tobacco was once the main grown crop of

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