munition

The Rocklea Munitions Works was built in the early 1940s and, according to Brisbane City Council's heritage listing for the site, were some of the "most northerly munitions works constructed in Australia during the Second World War". It was one of the largest construction projects undertaken in Queensland during the war and became increasingly vital to the war effort as the fighting moved to Papua and New Guinea. Due to its importance to the war effort and risk of being targeted, the property had air raid shelters for factory workers, which remain on site. The machining shop in the factory produced cartridge cases for 25-pounder ammunition during the war. Source: www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-08/salisbury-rocklea-munition...

The factory was at Bilberry which was the site of the terminus of the Waterford South Railway. On 22nd December 1916 the Waterford News reported that the ladies were at work greasing the machinery and carrying out light work but had not yet commenced making munitions. In 1917 they commenced making cartridges and continue to do so until after the war. The factory closed in the Summer of 1919.

There are a bunch more photos taken by Poole of the factory mainly focussed on the interior and the tracks leading to it.

The OSI 25" is earlier - the terminus is still in use and the Fishguard and Rosslare Railway is not connected across the bridge we see in the background here.

Streetview in 2009 shows lots of rusty factory buildings on the site. The google aerial view says it has been cleared. Streetview from across the river in 2014 shows the cleared site.

In January 1919 the UK government "offered for sale" the munitions factory, along with ones in Manchester and Worcestershire. "Many firms are keenly anxious to buy such established factories, as the cost of labour and scarcity of material will make the building of others very uncertain for some years." From - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/153001733 5 April 1917 was a Thursday