The site upon which this factory building was constructed was part of the extensive King farm established circa 1806. The site was used for agricultural purposes until its resumption in 1941. The construction of the infrastructure for the proposed munitions factory was undertaken by the NSW PWD. The factory buildings appear to have largely been constructed by the Civilian Construction Corps, with a camp established specifically for the purpose of rapidly constructing the factory. The exact date of construction of this explosives storehouse has not been determined, nor any original drawings or specifications located. The storage buildings (now in Severn Street) and the two explosives storehouses can be seen in the 1947 aerial photograph and are likely to have been constructed in 1941-42.
The explosives storehouses were all located on the perimeter of the two factory complexes, within the High Explosives Section. Without the original plans it is not possible to be definitive about the use of each building on the site but it could possibly be assumed, given the function of similar buildings on other military sites, that the explosives storehouse building stored completed product. The 1948 plan of the site does not record an occupier. The areas surrounding the explosives storehouse were designated ‘future development’. The second (and larger), explosives storehouse was removed when Severn Street was constructed. The explosives storehouse was retained on the site when the substantial factory building was constructed. |
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