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Queerah Explosives Magazine Reserve
By March 1942, with Japan’s entry into World War II, all explosives from the Stratford magazine were transferred to a larger site at Queerah, south of Cairns. The magazine-keeper, however, resided at Stratford for the duration of the war, as the military were occupying the new quarters at Queerah.
Today the Queensland Government operates explosives reserves at Queerah, Brookhill near Townsville, Bajool south of Rockhampton, and Helidon near Toowoomba. Queerah Explosives Reserve contains five magazines of an original six, which are located on a now-discontinued railway spur line.
Place information
Location
Place type
Ammunition facility
History
The first magazine at Cairns was a barge anchored off the east side of Trinity Inlet in 1884. The area is still known as Magazine Creek.
A powder magazine and detonator store were constructed at Stratford, near Cairns in 1901 for the Marine Department, which was then the government authority responsible for storing the large quantity of explosives being shipped into the port of Cairns at the turn of the century for use by the government and the mining industry.
By the mid-1920s the Stratford area had become urbanised and land at a more isolated location was purchased at Queerah and a...
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