Located in Woodman Point Recreation Reserve, south of Perth, this Munitions Magazine is only one of two to remain in existence today. Both buildings have been registered as a heritage place with the Heritage Council of Western Australia, as well as being included in the City of Cockburn's Municipal Inventory of Heritage Places. The third that remains in existence is in a very good condition due to its restoration and adaption and is being used by the Woodman Point Caravan Park.

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Both brick buildings are surrounded by concrete pillow-shaped barrier berms on both sides, as well as the behind. These concrete berms exist all over the reserve in various conditions, many destroyed, demolished or simply covered up with decades of vegetation.

 

The buildings were used to store cordite, a smokeless explosive used in ammunition, located on the reserve that had been used by the Department of Minerals and Energy since 1904 until its abandonment in 1984. The construction and use of this site for storing cordite was essential to support the operations of the munitions factory, which was located in Welshpool.

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After the end of the war, Woodman Point Reserve was returned to the control of the State Government in 1945. The three brick magazine buildings were then used to store mining explosives.

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Timeline

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1904 - What is now known as Woodman Point Reserve, was established as Mines Department Reserve No. 8907 for the storage of mining industry explosives. The reserve was 327 acres with 4/5 enclosed by an eight-foot high galvanized iron fence. 27 main magazines and 19 detonator magazines were built in there with all being served by parallel railway lines.

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1936-1938 - Mining company Nobel (Australasia) Pty Ltd build eight magazines on the site over a two year period.

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1939 (01 September) - World War 2 breaks out

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1939 (03 September) - Australia becomes involved in World War 2.

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1941 (19 August) - Fairweather & Son were awarded the construction contract for all three brick munition magazines for £4,776. (They were later awarded with the South Fremantle Power Station and Princess Margaret Hospital construction contracts).

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1941 (21 August) - Construction begins on all the three buildings.

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1941 (23 October) - Fairweather & Son are due to have the three buildings completed within a 10-week period ending on this date.

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1941 (01 December) - Rail sidings have been extended serve all three buildings.

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1942 - Ammunition manufacturing plants run by the Australian Government expands to Welshpool, opening up the sixth and last factory in Australia (SAAF no.6) and begins to manufacture .303 rifle ammunition

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1942 (25 February) - Fairweather & Son complete construction on all three brick munitions storage facilities. By this time, the enclosed section of the Woodman Point Reserve had come under the control of the Naval Department.

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1945 (06 August) - Notices of dismissal are issued to employees working at the Welshpool ammunitions factory (SSAF no.6) for today but are withdrawn for at least a period of two weeks.

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1945 (02 September) - World War 2 ends.

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1945 (15 October) - The Reserve is returned to the control of the state government.

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1962 - The Department of Mines begins to look for a new explosives storage site.

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1983 - The Cabinet announces that the Explosives Reserve will move to a new site in Baldivis during the next 12 months.

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1984 - The Reserve begins to fall into disrepair, assisted with damage and vandalism to the brick buildings and concrete barrier berms.

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1995 - Munitions Magazine no.3 is enclosed within the boundary of the Woodman Point Caravan Park and adapted for use as the camping kitchen.

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2001 (March) - Munitions Magazines no.1 and no.2 remain abandoned from this date.

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2002 (March) - A management plan is expected to be completed by this date.

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2002 (September) - All three brick munitions magazine buildings are interim listed on the Register of Heritage Places.