Explosives Magazine

This area was once part of the Woodman Point Magazine/explosives storage depot. It was first constructed in the early 1900s and was in use throughout World Wars I and II, up until it was closed in 1983. The explosives magazines were set back from the beach in the sand dunes, surrounded by sandbag barriers. The red brick buildings have very thick walls and high set windows.

Explosives for the purpose of loosening ore on the goldfields were initially transported to Robbs Jetty by wooden hulled sailing vessels. After initially being stored in an old ship hulk, the explosives were then stored in magazines originally situated among huge sand hills. Following an explosion in which a man was killed, the magazines were moved in 1903 to 1904 to the present site on Woodman Point by bullock teams. The brick magazines were built later.

Woodman Point was chosen as an ideal site for the magazines owing to its proximity to Robbs Jetty. With the building of a jetty the explosives could be brought to the magazines directly. At first the explosives were transferred to lighters which ferried the cargo to the jetty. The cargo was then loaded onto horse drawn rail wagons and taken to the magazines. In later years the lighters were replaced by small motor vessels which could berth at the jetty and the horses were replaced by tractors.

During World War Two the location of the explosives magazine caused problems for the district as it was a recognised strategic target for the enemy. As a result, Coogee Primary School was relocated until after the end of the war. The land at Woodman Point was recognised as having recreation potential, so in 1984 the Mines Department relocated the explosives depot to Baldivis.

A Well-guarded War Secret. (1945)

After the fall of Singapore, early in 1942, the British Admiralty decided to establish an armament depot in Western Australia and asked the Federal Government to make a site available for a depot to take 10,000 tons of naval armament ranging from 15in shells (weighing from one ton each) to the smallest calibre.  They arrived in June 1942, and were placed in the magazines at Woodman's Point, south of Fremantle. Value About £1,000,000. They included about 2000 mines of all types, thousands of shells from the 15in shell (one ton) down to 0.303 rifle ammunition, 1600lb. down to 4016 bombs for the British Fleet Air Arm, and war heads for torpedoes. For the storing of this armament special buildings were constructed.