THE JAMAICAN MILITARY MUSEUM AND LIBRARY Preserving military history in Ja
RECORDED MILITARY history in Jamaica starts from the first encounter the native Taino population had with the Spanish colonisers in 1494. Since then, the island has moved from being a Spanish colony to being under British dominion until 1962, with an ever-transitioning military presence to defend the island until today. The material cultural remains of this long legacy stands today as testament to the many battles that have been fought on land and at sea. These battles were in an effort to protect sovereign reign over the island, including those against internal struggles for emancipation and, later, social justice. The Jamaican Military Museum and Library (JMML) is dedicated to preserving and maintaining this legacy for public appreciation.
The Jamaica Forces Museum was established in 1972 and was located at Curphey Barracks in Up Park Camp, headquarters of the Third Battalion The Jamaica Regiment (National Reserve). The facility was closed in the 1990s and reopened in July 2006, at its present location within Up Park Camp, with a fresh exhibition that explored the history and legacy of military defence in Jamaica. It was also renamed the JMML.
The JMML acts as a principal agent in the preservation of military history and the material sites, monuments and artefacts. This history can be found across the island at many historic forts and fortifications, which reflect early defence mechanisms established for the protection of the island against invasion.
Up Park Camp, itself a historic site established from the late 18th century, has a remarkable history of its own now represented through the remaining monuments and buildings. One such lesser-known monument in Up Park Camp is that of the Rt Hon Sir Alexander Bustamante, which marks the location where he was detained for seventeen months for allegedly violating the defence of the Realm Act in 1940.
As the Jamaica Defence Force strives to play a prominent role in the preservation of military history in the island, it is becoming increasingly important to broaden the offerings of the JMML in an effort to enhance the experiences of our visitors to the facility and documented military sites. Towards this end, the Museum Newcastle Hill Station, which will be open to the public soon, is located in the hills of the Blue and John Crow mountains and will tell the story of the site built from the 1840s. The museum in Up Park Camp is open to the public Wednesdays-Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a cost of $100 for adults and $50 for children.