Bantry Bay, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Bantry Bay in Sydney
, Australia
, is located just off Middle Harbour in the Garigal National Park
.
were built from 1914 and replaced old hulks
that had been used to store explosives in nearby Powder Hulk Bay on Sydney Harbour. In 1915 the works were handed over to the state-run explosives department, who regulated the explosives industry in NSW. In 1973 operations at Bantry Bay stopped and the base was closed. The National Parks and Wildlife currently maintains the site and in 2003 announced it would invest $350,000 AUD in restoring the aging roofing. As of 2006 the site remained closed to the public due to old explosive contamination at the site. However, there are good views of the site from the eastern side of Bantry Bay, which can be accessed from the Timbergetter's track, which starts at Seaforth
Oval. Walking tracks also go around the west side of the magazines, providing access from the nearby residential area of Killarney Heights.
The Warringah Shire Council minutes of 4 January 1907 reveal how unpopular was the government's proposal to take over Bantry Bay, which was a very popular recreation area for many residents of Sydney, and had been visited regularly by day trippers since the 1840s. By 1910 work on the construction of the new explosives magazines at Bantry Bay had commenced.
Aboriginal occupation of the area is evident through the abundance of middens along the foreshore.
Prior to the creation of Garigal National Park, the area had been preserved for some time as a reserve of 250 hectares, which was listed on the Register of the National Estate
.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, is located just off Middle Harbour in the Garigal National Park
Garigal National Park
Garigal National Park is a national park in New South Wales , 20 km north of central Sydney. The park is somewhat disjointed but covers the following areas:...
.
History and Description
Many people think Bantry Bay was a military complex, but in fact it was used to store military explosives during the Second World War. Children in the area sometimes refer to it as the "ammo dump". The nine explosives magazinesMagazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
were built from 1914 and replaced old hulks
Hulk (ship)
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
that had been used to store explosives in nearby Powder Hulk Bay on Sydney Harbour. In 1915 the works were handed over to the state-run explosives department, who regulated the explosives industry in NSW. In 1973 operations at Bantry Bay stopped and the base was closed. The National Parks and Wildlife currently maintains the site and in 2003 announced it would invest $350,000 AUD in restoring the aging roofing. As of 2006 the site remained closed to the public due to old explosive contamination at the site. However, there are good views of the site from the eastern side of Bantry Bay, which can be accessed from the Timbergetter's track, which starts at Seaforth
Seaforth, New South Wales
Seaforth is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Seaforth is located 12 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Manly Council and is part of the Northern Beaches region....
Oval. Walking tracks also go around the west side of the magazines, providing access from the nearby residential area of Killarney Heights.
The Warringah Shire Council minutes of 4 January 1907 reveal how unpopular was the government's proposal to take over Bantry Bay, which was a very popular recreation area for many residents of Sydney, and had been visited regularly by day trippers since the 1840s. By 1910 work on the construction of the new explosives magazines at Bantry Bay had commenced.
Aboriginal occupation of the area is evident through the abundance of middens along the foreshore.
Prior to the creation of Garigal National Park, the area had been preserved for some time as a reserve of 250 hectares, which was listed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
.