Allison Engine Testing Stands, World War II engine testing facility in Eagle Farm, Australia

Allison Engine Testing Stands are a World War II facility with six open stands and two enclosed brick structures for testing aircraft engines. The design allowed engineers to run motors at maximum power output safely.

The testing facility was built by the American 81st Air Depot Group in 1942 to support Allied military operations in the Pacific. It was part of a larger American military presence in Queensland during the war.

The stands tested engines overhauled at General Motors-Holden's plant at Breakfast Creek, which by its peak handled ten Allison V12 engines a day with about 530 workers, roughly 180 of them at the start. The six open stands were built by servicemen of the 44th Depot Repair Squadron, USAAF 81st Air Depot Group; the Allied Works Council put up the two enclosed stands.

The stands sit beside 71 Amy Johnson Place in Eagle Farm, east of Schneider Road, within the TradeCoast Central heritage area. The open stands and the concrete pavement of the former buildings are outdoors, so plan for sun and rain. Interpretive panels explain the site; the ground is level and walkable.

Engineers used block-and-tackle systems on monorails to lift engines high enough for propellers to rotate at full speed safely. This simple mechanical method allowed testing at extreme power levels without risking damage.