Section of camp at 1 Base Ordnance Depot, Bandiana

Ernest Buckmaster was born in Hawthorn, Melbourne on July 3 1897. After being rejected for military service due to his physical frailty Buckmaster attended the National Gallery Art School from 1918-24. Ernest Buckmaster was first offered a position as an official war artist on January 20 1945, following the recommendation of the previous Director of the National Art Gallery of New South Wales, James Stuart Macdonald, though he did not accepted his appointment until August 24 1945, following the completion of a commission in New Zealand. Due to his age of 48 and poor health Buckmaster was not enlisted in the army and was accredited as a war correspondent. Despite being commissioned to paint the Japanese surrender, after a lengthy process preparing to be transported to Singapore, Buckmaster, along with a group of correspondents and photographers arrived two days after the surrender ceremony.

This painting shows a section of the Australian military camp, 1st Australian Base Ordnance Depot at Bandiana near Albury, Victoria. The buildings are typical Australian semi-permanent army huts. The camp was, and still is, a huge military complex and major army camp where soldiers are trained and supplied with equipment. The tent at middle right is a small India-patterned bell tent. The background shows hills and trees representing typical Australian landscape. Several figures of soldiers are seen moving about the camp.