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Sydney Ammunition Pipeline - Video
This page supplements the page called Sydney Ammunition Pipeline by presenting a video showing pipeline operations shortly before its closure in 1999.
Increasingly stringent safety distance principles for storage and handling of explosives during the latter part of the 20th century drove more highly planned and controlled ammunitioning operations. Typically, a major ammunitioning operation during the later part of this period involved:
- Preparation of guided weapons and mass-detonating ammunition at either RANAD Kingswood or the RAN Missile Maintenance Establishment;
- Road transport from RANAD Kingswood to the explosives wharf at Newington;
- Preparation of ammunition/ warheading of torpedoes at Newington, and internal road or rail transport to the explosives wharf;
- Loading of lighters;
- Staging of some loaded lighters around Spectacle Island;
- A shuttle movement of lighters (towed by either workboats, tugs, or crane stores lighters) either direct from Newington or from staging at Spectacle Island to a ship moored at an explosives buoy in the Man of War Anchorage to the east of Garden Island;
- Unpacking and transfer of guided weapons to ships magazines by the use of transfer dollies or crates lifted by crane stores lighters; and
- Transfer of ammunition to ships magazines by crane lift or manual handling.
Towards the end of this period, and to minimise risk to the public, some operations that in the past would have been conducted in Port Jackson were instead conducted at the Point Wilson explosives wharf in Victoria. The staging of lighters at Spectacle Island was also discontinued for the same reason.
The last ammunition operation was conducted over the Newington wharf on 14 December 1999.
Note:
The video narration refers to Newington as originally operated by the Royal Marines. This is incorrect. When the first buildings were constructed on the site in 1897-98 they were for the New South Wales Military Forces.