It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr Jonathan (Jack) Ford on 30 June 2025, at his home in Brisbane. Jack had recently returned from hospital following heart treatment and, when we last spoke on Friday, he told us that the new medication had given him a renewed lease on life. His sudden passing has come as a deep shock.
Jack Ford was a member of the Royal Queensland Historical Society and one of Queensland’s most respected historians. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he conducted in-depth research into World War II, Dutch–Australian wartime relations, the American Civil War, and Brisbane’s built heritage. His Ph.D. research on Dutch–Australian military relations during WWII—begun in 1982 at the University of Queensland—remains a benchmark contribution in the field. His 1996 publication Allies in a Bind: Australia and the Netherlands East Indies in the Second World War is still the only comprehensive work on the subject. Plans were recently underway to republish the book, a project he was excited to see come to fruition.
Jack’s passion for heritage extended to his role as a historian with the Brisbane City Council Heritage Unit (2001–2014), during which he secured heritage protection for 337 places, authored three heritage signs, and wrote inscriptions for four war memorials. In recognition of his outstanding work, he received a National Trust of Queensland Heritage Award in 2008.
As an author and contributor to many books, academic journals, commissioned reports, and conference papers, Jack shared his expertise generously. He was a frequent guest speaker for historical organisations and a trusted voice in media interviews. From 2010 to 2015, he served as the on-air historian for the ABC-TV broadcast of Brisbane’s ANZAC Day March.
Jack was also deeply engaged with the American Civil War research community and was a regular contributor to the journal The Bugle. For the 2015 ACW sesquicentenary, he curated a Queensland heritage trail of ACW veterans’ graves.
More recently, Jack became a dedicated supporter of the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) and the Camp Columbia Heritage Association (CCHA). He allowed us to feature content from Allies in a Bind on the DACC website and collaborated closely to ensure accuracy and historical sensitivity. When the Camp Columbia Heritage Association was established, Jack became an active participant, contributing artefacts to our exhibition at the MacArthur Museum in Brisbane.
At the time of his passing, Jack was preparing for the upcoming symposium Allied Co-operation in Brisbane during WWII, to be held at the University of Queensland in August 2025. Just days ago, we had agreed to include a new exhibition panel featuring a selection of his photographs. His passing leaves a significant gap in both the planning and the spirit of this event, which will now also serve as an occasion to honour his life and work.
Jack Ford leaves behind a legacy defined by historical rigour, personal integrity, and an extraordinary generosity of knowledge. He was not only a brilliant scholar but also a warm, open-minded colleague and friend. Our thoughts are with his wife Brenda and his family at this difficult time.
He will be deeply missed.
