Army No 5 Base Ordnance Depot Precinct

Child Places

• 15289 Nungarin Bowling Club
• 24444 Army Fire Walls (Herbert's Paddock)
• 03482 Army Vehicle Workshop (fmr)
• 15294 Nungarin Swimming Pool

Statement of Significance

The site of number 5 Army Base Ordnance Depot is significant in the pattern of history of Australia, being representative of technical achievement during wartime. It is also representative of the Army contribution to Nungarin's development of community and sense of place, and demonstrates a unique function in this state. The buildings, remains, and foundations are a unique reminder of Nungarin's association with the defence of the nation.

Physical Description

Until the dismantling of the Nungarin Depot in 1960-2, it was the largest storage facility for Army Ordnance in Western Australia, built at a total cost of approximately ten million pounds. Some of the storehouses had a floor area of over 42,000 square feet, with the total floor space of the twelve major buildings measuring 376,230 square feet. The storehouse portion of the Depot covered 615 acres (see attached table). The depot had its own sewerage and drainage system, and a purpose built power station. Water was available from connection with the Goldfields Water Supply. Fire-fighting standpipes were connected to a 250,000 litre water tank and pump. Specific facilities included: • No.1 Sub-Depot • Proofing Range • Machine Workshop • Motor Transport Workshop • Signals Instrument Workshop • Armoury Workshop • Australian Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Workshops for A' & 'B' Vehicles •Parts Reclamation Building • Army Powerhouse • Administration Building, Offices • Tank Workshops : Hull, Engine, Cleaning • Quartermaster Stores • Medical Facilities • Post Office Other barracks, buildings, messes and amenities were constructed: • The O'Meara Club catering for troops and married families • Two tennis courts fitted with lighting for night play • A full size bowling green equipped for night playing • Large recreation hall fitted out for 35 mm cinemascope screenings • Hobbies hut • Two sports grounds which included facilities for football, soccer, cricket, tennis, hockey and baseball • A reading and writing hut • Officers' and Sergeants' messes provided with billiard tables, table tennis tables and other indoor recreational facilities • Swimming Pool • Golf Course It is still possible to see the location of most of the camp from the concrete floors, roads and railway formations. Only a few of the original buildings remain, the most notable being: • Number 70 Workshop, now the Nungarin Army & Heritage Museum (Lot 164). • The Sergeant's Mess which has been converted by the Nungarin Bowling Club for use as their Club House & licensed premises (adjacent to the Bowling Green). • Five of the original twenty prefabricated houses remaining in the Third Avenue and Mitchell Terrace block. • The O'Meara Club opposite the Nungarin Swimming Pool which has been purchased by the Carnduff family as their residence. Five brick buttressed walls in Herbert's paddock (Avon Location 14233), are all that remain of the central fire-walls of large storehouses.

History

Because of fears of a Japanese invasion of Western Australia, it was decided to move three of the Australian Army's ten divisions to this state. As a consequence of this build-up, there was a need for considerable support facilities, including ordnance depots. These needed to be on established road and rail routes, with good water supply and telephone communications, and far enough inland to be out of the range of carrier-borne enemy aircraft. Nungarin was selected as a suitable site for an ordnance and stores depot, and in September 1942, the Army acquired 1720 acres (697 hectares) of land in the town. The Nungarin Base was initially known as No. 7 Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot (7 AAOD), and was divided into four sections: Vehicle Park (136 acres), Workshops, Equipment and Ordnance Depot. Construction at the base continued until as late as 1946, and was said to be the largest Army camp in Western Australia. The facility incorporated the Army Vehicle Workshop, as well as a multitude of other workshops, shelters, offices, stores, medical facilities, a powerhouse, and post office, as well as administration blocks and a vehicle park; all built and equipped at a cost of more than ten million pounds. All the vehicle park stock came from the South African campaign, and was transported by rail as far as Burracoppin where a wash-away necessitated the stock being off-loaded and driven to Nungarin in huge convoys. Approximately 1200 troops were stationed in Nungarin at one time. The Australian Women's Army Service was also stationed at the base, and provided with separate facilities. Throughout 1943, civil aliens from various European countries such as Germany, Italy and Albania were employed by the Allied Works Council at the Ordnance Depot. Immediately after the cessation of hostilities in 1945, applications for discharge commenced, and many persons awaiting discharge were posted to the depot. On 19th February, 1946, No.1 Store was demolished by fire. A newspaper report of the time estimated that approximately £200,000 worth of army stores and equipment had been lost in one of the most costly conflagrations to occur in the state. The shed had been used for the storage of tyres, engines, lighting plants, artillery pieces and generators, and had been equipped with a crane that operated on girders running the full length of the roof. The intense heat of the fire softened the girders and completely wrecked the crane. There was adequate manpower to deal with the blaze, but the stream of water drawn from the 8-inch water main had little pressure and the big chemical extinguishers had little effect. In a few minutes the blaze was so intense that it was impossible to approach within fire-fighting distance. Fortunately it was a calm night, and when the fire spread to a nearby petrol, oil and lubricant store, the flames were able to be brought under control. Detective Sergeant G.Winning of the Criminal Investigations Branch at Northam assisted the military authorities with their investigations, and a Court of Inquiry was later held into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Late in 1946, the existing units 7 AOD, 5 AOVP, 7 RSD, 71 FOD and the cell of 9 BOD were amalgamated into one unit known as 9 BOD. This unit was to have its headquarters at Midland, with bulk holdings retained at Nungarin. During the 1946 Christmas leave period, records, furniture and fittings were transferred from Nungarin and the centralised Control Office was established at Midland. On July 1st, 1948, depots throughout the Commonwealth were renumbered, and 9 BOD was designated as 5 BOD. During the next five years, there was considerable activity as depot stocks were reorganised to meet peace-time requirements, and surplus stores disposed of. Operations were gradually scaled down, with sales of buildings and property from 1949 until the caretaker left in May 1962. In October 1955, an area of approximately 85 acres was sold to the State Government of Western Australia, and some of the buildings, fences and gates were disposed of locally. The closure of 5 BOD Nungarin involved one of the largest post-war disposal sales of stores. It also involved the movement of approximately 700 tons of various goods to eastern states depots between February and July 1961, and a further 500 tons of retention stores to Midland by August of that same year. Nungarin still enjoys a legacy of sporting facilities either constructed, or initiated and assisted, by the Army during their time of occupation. Australian Archive files record that the O'Meara Club and Swimming Pool, plus 14.5 acres (5.88 ha) of land, was purchased by the newly declared Nungarin Shire Council for £75 in 1961. The Nungarin Bowling Club purchased the Sergeant's Mess plus 12 acres (4.86 ha) for £1,100 to use as a clubhouse. The Vehicle Maintenance Workshop (#70), and 2.75 acres (1.11 ha) of land was purchased by the Nungarin Shire Council for £1,000, for use as a depot for the storage and maintenance of Shire equipment. The workshop is a unique timber building of approximately two and a half thousand square metres, and is in remarkable condition. After August 1961, caretaking staff remained at Nungarin until all the buildings were taken over by the Department of the Interior in January 1962, and a twenty year period of association with the Australian Army came to a close.

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