Rowan,
The army base north of Fawkner was called the "Broadmeadows Army Camp", not Camp Pell.
Camp Pell was much closer to Melbourne in Royal Park. About 500 metres from the Zoo and 2 kilometres or so from Melb city. It was erected in WWII to accommodate US troops based here. The US soldier Leonski, the "Brown-out Killer" who murdered a local girl, was based here.
After the war the camp reverted to cheap / free accommodation for poor families. I saw it when I was small and can still remember its miserableness.

JG / FME.