Historical information

The Albion Explosives Factory began as Commonwealth Defence Explosives Annexe No. 5, constructed rapidly in 1939–1940 as part of Australia’s WWII munitions expansion.

It was built adjacent to the long‑established Nobel / ICI explosives works at Deer Park and produced TNT, nitroglycerine, cordite, RDX, DNT, and related explosive compounds.

This plant manufactured Research Department Explosive (RDX), a nitrogen‑rich high explosive used in military munitions, which is far more powerful than TNT, yet relatively stable to store and transport. It is not a consumer or industrial product and sits firmly in the defence materials category.

Significance

This series of time elapsed photographs records the demolition of the Northern RDX Acid Plant chimney by controlled demolition by explosive which safely brought the chimney down by making it to fall to one side.

The history of the Albion Explosive Factory is tightly connected to the evolution of the Deer Park explosives precinct and the wider ICI industrial township.

Physical description

Digital scans of black and white negatives

Inscriptions & markings

Chimney Blown Up Explosive Factory Deer Park 341.1