Intelligence gathering in Geraldton 80 years on from WWII

Australia Broadcast Center

24-04-2025

In the 1940s, Geraldton was a small coastal town of just 5,000 people.
But with fears of a Japanese invasion during World War II, the population swelled dramatically, as 40,000 troops were stationed there for the defence of key infrastructure such as the railway, port, and airport.
Radar station in Geraldton during WWII (left) and the Kojarena Defence Communication Station (right).
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Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society/ABC News: Chris Lewis
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Geraldton historian Stan Gratte OAM was just nine years old when the war began.
He developed a friendship with one of those soldiers who left a lasting impression.
In his memoir A Boy and the War, Stan credits Sapper Raymond Hicks of the 5th Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers, with expanding his love of photography.
With a shortage of chemicals to process photos, Raymond taught young Stan
how to develop his own film — a skill he used to capture the world around him during wartime.
Anti-aircraft gunners in the Geraldton area kept watchful eyes on the skies for enemy planes.
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Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society
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Stan can remember the time he witnessed hundreds of soldiers marching down Geraldton's main street, Marine Terrace.
Soldiers conducting drills near the Geraldton Cathedral Church during WWII.
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Supplied: Army Museum of Western Australia
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He believes the public parade was a show of strength to Japanese spies, a message for the enemy that Australia was ready.
Mr Gratte can recall the day he saw hundreds of WWII soldiers marching through the main street of Geraldton.
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Supplied: Stan Gratte/ABC News: Chris Lewis
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When peace was eventually declared on Pacific Day, Geraldton erupted in celebration.
Victory Pacific Day was celebrated on the streets of Geraldton, when Japan surrendered to US Allied forces.
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Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society
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Leftover ammunition was dumped into the sea, aircraft was dismantled, hangars were packed up, and soldiers sent home.
The town gradually returned to the quiet fishing and farming hub it had once been.
Even the radar station on top of Geraldton's highest sand dune was dismantled.
It was one of 355 radar stations built in Australia to monitor enemy communications during WWII.
After the war Avro Anson planes were dismantled and hangars were no longer required to protect WA's coast.
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Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society
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Echoes of the past unearthed
While searching for sea glass at Bluff Point in Geraldton earlier this week, beachcomber Dianne Kitney stumbled upon an old tyre revealed by the low tide. She snapped a photo, which clearly showed a "US Royal Airplane" logo.
Dianne Kitney stumbled upon an old tyre revealed by the low tide in Geraldton, WA.
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Supplied: Dianne Kitney/ABC News: Chris Lewis
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Historian and archaeologist Bob Sheppard says it may be from a World War II aircraft, but cautions against jumping to conclusions.
"In my view, it's definitely an aircraft tyre," he said.
"But these tyres were often reused — as fenders on cray boats, for example — so we can't say for certain it came from a WWII bomber. That said, bombers were flown out of the Geraldton air base during the war … so you never know."
A US Catalina plane at the the Geraldton air base during WWII.
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Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society
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Eyes in the skies
World War II forever changed the way wars are fought, elevating the role of signals intelligence and code-breaking.
John Blaxland, an expert on international intelligence and security based in Washington DC, and author of Revealing Secrets, says there are now several key methods for gathering intelligence.
John Blaxland says several key methods of intelligence gathering are used.
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ABC News: Mark Moore
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"There's the traditional human espionage, signals intelligence — which includes communications and electronic intelligence — as well as geospatial intel through satellite imagery," Professor Blaxland said.
"Then there's open-source intelligence and diplomatic reporting.
"
When you triangulate all that, you get a pretty accurate picture of what's going on in your neighbourhood.
"
The Kojarena Defence Communication Station is 30 kilometres east of Geraldton.
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ABC News: Chris Lewis
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In the late 1980s, then defence minister Kim Beazley visited Geraldton to announce the construction of a new defence communication station 30 kilometres inland, near the farming district of Kojarena.
"The Defence Signals Directorate is a very important gatherer of foreign information for the Australian Defence Department and the government as a whole," he said at the time.
Mr Beazley said the new base would significantly enhance Australia's intelligence-gathering capabilities.
Focus on deterrence
Gordon Flake, who leads the Perth USAsia Centre at the University of Western Australia, says the Kojarena site remains "really important" to international security, playing a key role in the Five Eyes agreement.
Gordon Flake says the Kojarena Defence Communication Station plays a key role in the Five Eyes agreement.
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Supplied: Perth USAsia Centre
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The Five Eyes intelligence alliance is a treaty for joint cooperation in signals intelligence, comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
"Publicly you'll see ships and soldiers but underneath it all there's this foundational element of intelligence sharing and the Five Eyes agreement provides a foundation for the joint collection, analysing and actioning of intelligence globally," Professor Flake said.
"Just recently the highlighted transit of
"But as our director of National Intelligence Andrew Shearer made clear … the clear indication was their capability and intent on the Chinese part.
"You begin to understand it's not a benign world. There's been a lack of transparency from the Chinese."
He says looking back at wartime lessons is essential to preventing future conflicts.
"If you think back to World War II, what you don't want is another Bougainville, another Kokoda Track, or another Pearl Harbor," Mr Flake said.
"
Information is essential for deterrence. It's essential for protecting our national security.
"
The Kojarena Defence Communication Station is situated among farming land.
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ABC News: Chris Lewis
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University of Melbourne professor Richard Tanter has researched security and international relations for more than five decades.
He says the Kojarena facility is "essentially a spy base".
Richard Tanter says the Kojarena site is essentially a spy base.
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Supplied
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For years, the true nature of the Kojarena operation was the subject of speculation, until the
Edward Snowden leaks
The Kojarena site was one of several locations run by Australia's Signals Directorate that formed part of the international Five Eyes satellite eavesdropping network.
"It was like having a curtain across the whole thing whipped out and then suddenly closed again," Mr Tanter said.
The Kojarena Defence Communication radar and dome sits among bushland neighbouring farms.
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ABC News: Chris Lewis
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He believes the Australian government could be more transparent about what goes on at such facilities and which countries are being monitored.
"People can have many opinions about Snowden. He certainly paid a huge price personally," Mr Tanter said.
"But like Julian Assange, he and his colleagues released information which I think people need to know about to make up their own minds.
Photo shows
A black and white image of nine men attend to a radar structure on an unidentified World War II radar station.
Some of Australia's forgotten military history is being brought back to life by a team of archaeologists searching coastal scrub in Western Australia's Mid West.
"Is this the right thing to do? Is it for Australia the best thing to do? And I think that's the essence of what we always have to think about."
Professor Blaxland thinks spy bases such as Kojarena are pretty transparent.
"You can go right up to the fence of Kojerena, right up to the fence at Pine Gap," he said.
"Now try that in North Korea. Try that in Russia. Try that in China. And good luck to you."
But Professor Blaxland notes that it's wise not to reveal all your cards.
"You certainly don't want to proudly display how good you are, because in doing so, you will make sure that your target will make it harder in future for you to keep doing that."
The radar station in Geraldton during WWII was used to help intercept enemy communications.
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Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society
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