Harvey Internment Camp & Army Detention Cells 1942

The Detention Cells form a part of the Harvey Internment Camp and the 3rd Australian Corps Army School Precinct. 

In 1942, a single-storey brick gaol with four cells, known as the Detention Centre or Cells, was constructed on the site to help maintain discipline. The building also had an adjacent exercise yard.

Two of the cells are open to the public, with interpretive information that explains their history and how the 3rd Australian Army Corps used the Internment Camp site as a training school for soldiers during WWII.

The interior of the four cells comprise concrete floors, rendered walls and jarrah ceilings.

Although the exercise yard was removed before 1952, evidence remains in the low-level brickwork and concrete slabs.

The Harvey Internment Camp and Army Precinct is one of the region’s most fascinating and significant cultural attractions.

To uncover this history, take the short Shrine Walk and visit:

• Internment Camp Memorial Shrine  – believed to be Australia’s only roadside shrine.
• Shrine Fountain ‘Fontana 2000’
• Internment Camp Ablution Block Foundations

Sit in remembrance and contemplation, or discover exhibits that tell the Internment Camp and Shrine’s story.

The remaining buildings are owned by the Western Australian Department of Education and are not open to the public. However, the Old Hospital (1940) and Bailey Bridge (1940) are visible from the road.