This petition has been Authorised by the Toowoomba RSL Sub-Branch and created by Nicholas Dudley in his capacity as Vice President of the Toowoomba RSL Sub-Branch.

Toowoomba’s historic Drill Hall and the broader Milne Bay Training Depot are facing an uncertain future, and that is causing real concern across the community.

This is about far more than a property decision. The site holds significant military, historical and community value. The Drill Hall is an important part of Toowoomba’s military history, and the broader depot continues to have real value for veterans, cadets, families and the wider community.

The site also sits within the wider story of Toowoomba’s long military tradition. Toowoomba has deep ties to the regiment now known as the 25th/49th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, which traces its lineage back to 1875 and Queensland’s colonial defence forces. That lineage includes the 25th Infantry Battalion, known as the Darling Downs Regiment, which was headquartered in Toowoomba and served at Gallipoli and on the Western Front in the First World War, as well as the 2/25th Infantry Battalion, which served with distinction in the Second World War, including at Milne Bay and Bougainville.

There is growing concern that decisions about the future of the site could be made without proper consultation and without fully recognising its heritage significance, its role in supporting cadet activity, and its importance as a visible connection between Toowoomba and the city’s long tradition of military service.

This petition has been created to give members of the community the opportunity to formally show their support for protecting the historic Drill Hall and Milne Bay Training Depot. By signing, supporters are calling on Defence and relevant decision-makers to properly recognise the site’s historical and community significance, to consult with the community, and to seriously consider options that preserve its heritage and ongoing value to veterans, cadets, families and the wider public.

We believe this site should be properly protected and that all options to preserve its heritage, military and community value should be seriously considered before any final decision is made.