Blackboy Hill, was named after the Xanthorrhoea preissii, which dominated the site and is now absorbed into Greenmount, Western Australia. Originally comprising a military camp, the facilities and adjacent structures were on the hill that is now utilised by St Anthony's Primary School and Church, and Greenmount Primary School. The remaining land that has been left as a memorial to the troops who left the training camp is known as the Blackboy Hill Commemorative Site on official documents and maps, but local signage usage tends to refer to the location simply as Blackboy Hill.
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During the troop build up for the First World War, the site was a military training camp used to house large numbers of Australian Imperial Force (AIF) troops before they left for the various battlefront locations in Europe and the Middle East. Facilities were moved from other parts of the metropolitan area to improve facilities which were quite basic.[1]
Troops were transported to the adjacent Helena Vale Railway station and marched across to the camp, so as to not interfere with the working of the Eastern Railway.[2] Blackboy Hill Post Office opened on 29 August 1914 and closed on 30 November 1918, defining the period of occupation of the site.[3] An office of the same name was opened from 1929 until 1932, when it was renamed Greenmount Hill.
Around April 1919, following the end of hostilities, the Imperial forces camp was turned over to the Health department to act as a fever hospital, treating Spanish Flu.
In the 1930s unemployed relief workers utilised the camp area.[4]
During the Second World War, the site was also used extensively by the 2nd AIF and other Australian military forces.
Blackboy Hill was a named railway stopping place between Bellevue and Swan View between the 1940s and 1960s.
The commemorative site is a small 0.5 hectare site on the southern edge of the former camp site, adjacent to Innamincka Road, Greenmount Hill. It is bounded by a 1.5 hectare public park to separated it from the adjacent schools and residential area.
In recent times, the main annual event at this site are the Anzac Day commemorations, which centre on a memorial named after the location. The Anzac memorial is on a segment of ground that is between the two primary schools. It is maintained by the Mundaring Council, and has a committee that oversees management of the site. The sunset service and the dawn service – as well as an all-night vigil – are maintained by the Bilgoman District of the Scout Association of Western Australia and the Returned and Services League of Australia.
Most of the original larger site is now covered by housing development, but up until this began in the early 1990s, remnants of the army camp and many associated rubbish pits were visible.