Kingsbury VC Rest Area
Penrose, NSW
Hume Highway (A31)
At a Glance
About
The Kingsbury VC Rest Area is stop 7 of 20 along the Remembrance Driveway, situated near Penrose on the Hume Highway in New South Wales. Travelling south, it follows the Mackey VC Rest Area, with the Chowne VC Rest Area ahead as the next stop on this solemn and significant corridor. The rest area honours Private Bruce Steel Kingsbury of the 2/14th Australian Infantry Battalion — one of Australia's most recognised acts of individual courage during the Second World War. Born in Preston, Victoria, on 8 January 1918, Kingsbury was educated at Windsor State School before winning a scholarship to Melbourne Technical College. He enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force and served in the Middle East before his battalion was redeployed to New Guinea. On 29 August 1942, at Isurava on the Kokoda Track in Papua, the 2/14th Battalion had been holding its ground for two days against relentless Japanese assaults. When the enemy broke through the battalion's right flank — threatening the unit's headquarters and the cohesion of the entire position — Kingsbury immediately volunteered to join a counter-attack. He rushed forward through dense jungle, firing his Bren gun from the hip, cutting down the enemy and driving them back, single-handedly restoring a critical section of the line. He was killed in that action. He was 24 years old. For his extraordinary courage, Private Kingsbury was awarded the Victoria Cross — the first such award to an Australian soldier in the South West Pacific Area during the Second World War. The rest area itself is open 24 hours, seven days a week, and is equipped with toilets, picnic tables, BBQs, and caravan parking, making it a practical pause point for travellers on the long Hume Highway corridor. It is suitable for caravans and larger vehicles. Maximum stay conditions apply in accordance with standard NSW road rules. As with all stops on the Remembrance Driveway, this site invites more than a stretch of the legs — it asks for a moment of quiet acknowledgement.
Victoria Cross Recipient
Private Bruce Steel Kingsbury VC
2/14th Australian Infantry Battalion
Bruce Steel Kingsbury was born in the Melbourne suburb of Preston on 8 January 1918. He was educated at Windsor State School and, on a scholarship, at Melbourne Technical College. He enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force and was posted to the 2/14th Infantry Battalion, serving in the Middle East before returning to Australia for deployment to New Guinea.
On 29 August 1942, at Isurava on the Kokoda Track in Papua, the 2/14th Battalion had been holding its position for two days against continuous and fierce Japanese attacks. The enemy attacked in such force that they broke through the battalion's right flank, creating a serious threat to the rest of the unit and its headquarters. Kingsbury immediately volunteered to join a platoon ordered to counter-attack. Rushing forward and firing his Bren gun from the hip through the dense jungle, he cleared a path through the enemy and inflicted heavy casualties, turning the tide of the battle. He was then shot and killed instantly by a Japanese sniper.
Kingsbury was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. He was the first Australian soldier to receive the VC for action in the South-West Pacific and the first to earn it on Australian-mandated territory. His sacrifice at Isurava is commemorated by the Isurava Memorial on the Kokoda Track. He was twenty-four years old.
Born 8 January 1918, Preston, VIC. Died 29 August 1942, Isurava, Papua.
References
Remembrance Driveway →
Stop 7 of 20 along the Remembrance Driveway
View all 20 stops
- Sir Roden Cutler VC Rest Area
- Partridge VC Rest Area Southbound
- Kenna VC Rest Area
- Keith Payne VC Rest Area
- Gordon VC Rest Area
- Mackey VC Rest Area
- Kingsbury VC Rest Area
- Chowne VC Rest Area
- Derrick VC Rest Area
- French VC Rest Area
- Kibby VC Rest Area
- Edmondson VC Rest Area
- Gratwick VC Rest Area
- Gurney VC Rest Area
- Badcoe VC Rest Area
- Wheatley VC Rest Area
- Anderson VC Rest Area
- Middleton VC Rest Area
- Newton VC Rest Area
- Edwards VC Rest Area
Facilities
Location
Links
Nearby
Campsites(5)
Trails(3)
Attractions(5)
Toilets(3)
Groceries(5)
Fuel(5)
EG Ampol Moss Vale
EG Ampol · 17km
Updated 15h ago
Shell Reddy Express Moss Vale
Shell · 17.4km
Updated 15h ago
United New Berrima General Store
United Petroleum · 18.9km
Updated 15h ago
Ampol Marulan
Ampol · 20.6km
Updated 15h ago
BP EXPRESS MARULAN SOUTHBOUND
BP · 20.7km
Updated 15h ago
Dump Points(2)
Bendeela Camping Ground
Free · 26.6km
Mittagong Caravan Park Dump Point
$? · 31.4km