Note to readers: There are several Chapters devoted
to the Jamboree! The Links in the Navigation Panel (at left) will take you directly to the relevant chapter.
Aerial photo of Jan 1, 1965, showing "Jamboree
City". The open area at centre is the "Shopping Mall" - the cluster of huts at the bottom are the Exhibition Area and
the radio station (yellow arrow). The long road at right is Power Rd, Baden Powell Drive is parallel to it. Churchill
Park Drive runs horizontally near centre. Churchill National Park is at top. High Voltage Power Lines cross the NP.
The cleared area at right is "Challenge Valley".
(Above) Map created by the author (2017) showing the official boundaries of the Camp.
(Above) Scouts arriving at the Camp, along Baden
Powell Drive. The view is to the south (SLV)
Bringing in the Supplies! (SLV)
OVERVIEW
A large
area of the Police Paddocks Reserve was the site of the 7th Australian Scout Jamboree, held
from Thursday December 31 1964 to Sunday January 10, 1965.
It was variously and popularly known as the "Rowville Jamboree", or the "Dandenong Jamboree"
or the "Challenge Valley Jamboree".
The Boy Scout Associations in forty countries, most of
them in Asian and the Pacific, were represented, with about 15,000
scouts attending.
Each of the Australian boys attending the camp made a contribution of five shillings each towards
a Brother Fund to help finance the fares of South-East Asian Scouts to the Jamboree,.
New
South Wales sent a contingent of 5,000 boys
It was stipulated that boys had to be
13, and each must have spent at least ten nights under canvas in preparation for the Jamboree.
The Jamboree City had its own hospital, dentist,
radio station, shopping centre, telephone exchange, banks post office,
canteens, Chapels, dry cleaners, fire station, Scout Shop,
Tourist Bureau and photographic shop.
