Black Powder Mill Cairnlea, Victoria, Australia
By
caughtatwork on 26-Jan-17. Waypoint GA9490
Cache Details
| Difficulty: | |
| Terrain: | |
| Type: | History |
| Container: | Virtual |
| Coordinates: | S37° 45.815' E144° 46.675' (WGS 84) |
| 55H 304270E 5818090N (UTM) | |
| Elevation: | 51 m |
| Local Government Area: | Brimbank |
/144.777917,-37.763583,14/400x200?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoiY2F1Z2h0YXR3b3JrIiwiYSI6ImNqa2l4ZzNzMDE5bjgzdm1sZGpuODF1Mm0ifQ.q8YMzVyzDJJlJHHV8EMjwQ)
Description
Black Powder Mill
The former Albion Explosives Factory is significant for the remnant elements that symbolise the region's close association with Australia's explosives and chemical armaments industry. In particular, the massive construction of the Black Powder Mill (Building No 745) represents a reminder of the dangerous nature of the materials being processed.
This building includes two massive concrete walls to direct any blast away from other processes towards the open area of Kororoit Creek, electrical equipment and gear drive system in a separate basement, bituminous covered floor to provide a non-sparking surface and externally mounted lighting.
At the Black Poweer Mill you will find 2 information signs and a brass plaque set in stone. All of the boards and plaques are within a few metres of the entrance gate to the Black Powder Mill and the posted co-ordinates.
On the brass plaque set in the stone:
The plaque commemorates the Official Opening of the Restrored Black Powder Mill on 9 December in what year?
On the tall information board titled "An explosive era in Brimbank":
Melbourne's first lithofracteur was established near Kororoit Creek south of Ballarat Road in what decade?
On the short information board titled "Albion Explosives Factory":
The photo of the Albion Explosives Factory looking to the east is circa what year?
Logs
Many thanks caughtatwork for creating this History Cache and highlighting this location.
Alot to discover round here.
My non geo dad did a little work at the local explosive sights around the area many years ago.
Today I gathered clues and was soon on my way.
TFTHC
We collected the info while finding caches in the Cairnlea Wander series on our way to Adelaide in March. What with the birthday celebrations and the dash back to the boat before everything locked down this history cache was overlooked.
Answers to the questions added and code obtained.
Thanks for this cache Caughtatwork. This was certainly an interesting piece of history. We have visited the sites of a few powder mills in our caching travels and marvel at the precautions taken to prevent mass injury and distruction should an explosion occur. Nice to see the restoration of this little piece of local history.
One that I would never have known about had it not been for our very own Geocaching Australia.
I love the places this game takes me and the history lessons learned.
Stopped by here on the way to climb a tree in Delahey.
Getting more adventure now as I approach 60 than ever before.
Thank you for creating this History Cache for us to find caughtatwork.
A national treasure!
Reading the info boards reminded me of my mad chemist phase as a lad when I bought the KNO3 from a chemical supplier in Adelaide, got the sulphur from Dad's gardening chemical collection, and either made fires to get the charcoal or ground up battery components to make my own black powder. It fizzled energetically, but I couldn't make it go bang!
It brings home to me how much things have changed in my lifetime. When I was well and truly an adult - well, legally at least - they were still making stuff to go bang here. Lots of big newish looking houses here on this repurposed site. What will be here in another 80 years?
TFTC CAUGHTATWORK.
Another cheeky detour on the way home from a day's caching with friends following a lead-up soirée for the Parkville Event.
I've been here before for a physical container in broad daylight, so who could resist a night virtual?
Thanks, C@W.
GCA#403
Thanks for the history lesson C@W....
thanks for bring me here again and virtual cache.
