About this place
What to expect
The Detention Cells (1942) 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 utilised the Internment Camp site as a training school for soldiers during World War II. Although the exercise yard was removed before 1952, evidence of its existence 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 the Internment Camp Memorial Shrine – believed to be Australia's only roadside shrine. Sit in remembrance and contemplation, or explore exhibits that tell the story of the Internment Camp and Shrine. The Western Australian Department of Education owns the remaining buildings which are not open to the public. However, the Old Hospital (1940) and Bailey Bridge (1940) are visible from the road.