Rocklea Munitions Factory, Compo Road, Rocklea

ROCKLEA AMMUNITION FACTORY
COMPO ROAD, ROCKLEA

The Rocklea Ammunition factory covering an area of more than 80 acres was located at Compo Road (now called Evans Road), Rocklea. The site was chosen by the Director-General of Munitions, Mr. Essington Lewis when he flew over the site on 22 January 1941.

An article in the Courier Mail dated 3 December 1941 stated:- "Bullets for small arms ammunition already are being produced at Rocklea Munition Works, although only a few months have passed since the first sods were turned on the factory site."

The Queensland Governor, Sir Leslie Wilson, visited the Rocklea Munitions Works on 2 December 1941 and watched 40 girls operating the complex machinery there. These girls had been specially trained in Melbourne. The Governor watched machines punch out bullet envelopes from raw metal, fill each with a plastic cone and lead core, and place a groove on the finished bullet. Machinery to make cartridge cases was being placed in position and was soon to be be producing completed rounds of ammunition. There were two Japanese lathes in another part of the ammunition section waiting to be used in the near future. They had been purchased from Japan before the war in the Pacific had broken out. At that time, the factory was expected to be up to full production within 6 months employing between 5,000 and 6,000 personnel.

A large Hostel was built at Moorooka to house many of the personnel who worked at the Rocklea Munitions Factory. It was not used for that purpose due to the closure of the Ammunition Factory and was used as Barracks for the British Royal Navy.

Five workers from the Rocklea Munitions Factory were killed and 33 others were seriously injured when a US Army truck hit a Brisbane City Council Tram full of Munitions workers on Beaudesert Road on 6 September 1943.

Photo:- BCC Aerial Photo 1946

Site of the former Rocklea Ammunition Factory on Compo Road

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Rocklea Munitions Factory on Compo Road (now called Evans Road)
You can just see the slopes of Tooheys Hill in the background

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Rocklea Munitions Factory

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Photo of Ammunition Factory building taken 6 May 2001
on corner of Chrome St. and Commerce St. at Salisbury

There is a small Air Raid type concrete bunker between the above building and the small RSL Memorial Park which is located between Commerce Street and Industries Road.

The students of the nearby Moorooka State School could see the camouflaged roofs of the large Rocklea Munitions Factory from their school windows. They were camouflaged to look like roads and tennis courts.

Photo:- NARA 111-SC-252699

The Civilian Mess Hall at the Rocklea Munitions factory covered by a
camouflaged false road and camouflage netting and false trees.

When the Ammunition Factory shut down after mid 1943, Building Nos 25, 26, 27, 29 and 54 were taken over by the 11th Australian Base Workshop on about 6 November 1944 for a Tank Workshop.

Other parts of the former Ammunition Factory were used by the USAAF to recondition aircraft engines and another area was taken over by the British Royal Navy to similarly recondition aircraft engines. All of these engines were tested at the nearby Rocklea Engine Testing area which was located near today's Salisbury Hotel on Orange Grove Road.

It is believed that munitions still onsite at the Rocklea Munitions Factory were relocated to the Munitions Depot at Stafford when the Rocklea Munitions Factory was converted to aircraft engine overhaul activities in about 1944. Stafford was a Munitions Depot not a Munitions Factory.

A letter from the Minister for Aircraft Production, Mr. Donald James Cameron, at 422 Collins Street, Melbourne to Prime Minister John Curtin on 4 October 1944 in part stated:-

1. Buildings to be released to the Australian Army

Building No. 27 will be released to the Department of the Army on November 6, 1944. The Army authorities have requested partial occupation of this building prior to that date, and the matter is being discussed with the local Army representatives with a view to such a partial occupation being arranged.

Building No. 29 holds a considerable quantity of United States engine spares. This building will be vacated as soon as they can be removed.

Building No. 54 will be released at the same time as Building No. 27

Buildings Nos. 42 and 44, which are occupied by the Munitions Department will be released almost immediately to the Army authorities.

2. Disposal of remainder of buildings on the South Side

Buildings Nos. 36, 38, 43 and 45 are utilised by the United States Army authorities as offices, stores, receiving and despatch depot and transport depot. This Department cannot say whether these buildings will be released when all United States operations cease at Rocklea since they cover all United States Service Command operations in the Brisbane Area.

Buildings Nos. 28, 31 and 37 are held as machine shop, transport depot and equipment stores, respectively, by my Department. It is desired to retain these premises for the time being.

3. Buildings on the North Side

These buildings are occupied by the Ford Motor Company, the Australian National Airways and by my Department. The latest planning in regard to the disposal of the Ford Company's building is that it is anticipated that all engine repair and overhaul operations will be completed by December 31, next, with complete clearance of the factory approximately one month or six weeks later, depending upon the disposal and storage of the plant, equipment, etc. This planning does not include the instrument repair shop (No. 15), final programme for which is not yet available.

My Department desires to retain for the time being the office accommodation which it now occupies in Building No. 23.

Subject to the above, it is anticipated that the majority of the buildings on the North side should be available for other use in February next.

It should be added that my Department has merely been in temporary occupation of these premises, and therefore the future utilisation of the buildings is a matter fro determination between the Minister for Munitions, by whose Department the buildings were constructed, and the Ministers for the Army and Interior.

NAA Photo 20 April 1944

Looking southwards to Building No. 27 General Motors Rocklea.
That is Project Street running diagonally across the photo.

Photo:- Peter Dunn

The covered doorway in this colour photo is the left hand doorway in
the above black and white WWII photo. The other doorway was
where the car is parked. You can see the driveway. The right hand
side of Building 27 burnt down in a major fire a number of years ago.

Photo:- Peter Dunn

The northern end of Building 27 fronting on to Engineering Street on 1 August 2018

Photo:- Scott Thompson

Aerial view of Building No. 27 on 1 August 2018. The open area to the right of the
building was that part of the building that burnt down a number of years ago.

Photo:- Scott Thompson

Aerial view of Building No. 27 on 1 August 2018. The open area to the right of the
building was that part of the building that burnt down a number of years ago.

Photo:- Scott Thompson

Aerial view of Building No. 27 on 1 August 2018 looking towards the east.
Part of Building No. 36 can be seen at the bottom centre of the photo.

Photo:- Scott Thompson

Aerial view of Building No. 36 on 1 August 2018

I was given a tour of Building 27, the QF Case Factory & Machine Shop and Building 36, the Shell Machining Shop on 1 August 2018 by Scott Thompson. In building 36 I was shown some graffiti on the western wall where Private Alphonsus George Mee (VX131061) wrote his name and the date May 1943. See the photo below.

Photo:- Peter Dunn

Private Alphonsus George Mee (VX131061) wrote his name and the
date May 1943 on the western wall of Building 36 the Shell Machining Shop

Photo:- Peter Dunn

Exterior of Building 36 on 1 August 2018

Photo:- Scott Thompson

Aerial view of a small Air Raid Shelter to the east of Building No. 36 on 1 August 2018.
It is located beside Assembly Street near the intersection with Bearing Street.

On 28 August 2022, I was contacted by Denis Hughes, who advised that his grandfather's business premises were located in one of the original buildings from the Rocklea Munitions Factory. His grandfather, Thomas Llewellyn Hughes, purchased by tender Building No. 20, the Main Store from the Munitions Factory days in about 1947 and used it to run his business which was called Handi Works Pty. Ltd. They were manufacturers of Petrol Irons, Pressure Lanterns , Stoves and Refrigerators. The US Navy had apparently used the building as a small components store for launch engines and various other spares parts when the Rocklea Munitions Factory closed down after mid 1943. Thomas Llewellyn Hughes re-enlisted during WWII and worked in the Stores / Purchasing areas at Enoggera. Denis's father continued to manage the business until it was sold in 1973. In the photo below, you will see a chimney showing over the roof, of the Handi Works building. This was a steam generation plant that supplied steam to nearby factories and was later demolished and the site was subsequently occupied by Cottees Passiona Ltd, a soft drink company. Just out of the photo on the immediate left foreground was an above ground concrete air raid shelter that Denis used to play in.

Photo:- via Denis Hughes