 After the bombing of Darwin during World War II, the Darwin civilian population was evacuated and the evacuees were transported by rail to Birdum siding where they were transferred to an army convoy to take them to Alice Springs.An evacuation hospital was constructed at Birdum by the U.S. Army 135th Medical Regiment in September 1942.The Royal Australian Air Force constructed a Base Personnel Staff Officer (BPSO) and Telecommunications Camp near Birdum.