Rocklea Munitions Laboratory & Mural
Dennis Fire Engine
Skyline Drive In Cinema – rare photo

Rocklea Munitions Laboratory is at 21 Engineering Street, Salisbury. It is the only building of the period with external styling (Art Deco). Brisbane City Council – Salisbury Heritage Trails lists the building as ‘a point of interest’. Recently, a company appears to have bought the property, and erected a tall structure in front of it. The Laboratory faced north to a large open space.

The Rocklea Munitions Works Laboratory was built between 1942 and 1943. The plans for the laboratory building were drawn up by J. S. Edwards of the Department of Interior in Victoria, during September and October 1942. The laboratory was designed to test the raw materials used in the production of the munitions, to ensure they met the quality standards and produced reliable ammunition.

A Mural honoring the women who worked in the Rocklea Munitions factories during WWII has been painted on the factory wall of 106 Blomfield Street by the proprietor of an ecological household products company, Craig Jones. A video of it being painted is on Facebook. (White Magic EcoLiving)

A Dennis Fire Engine from the mid-1960s is sitting at a disused factory on Boyland Avenue, Coopers Plains. It belongs to Dennis Weisz who also owns 25 Rosedale Street, a historic, but derelict Queenslander near Coopers Plains station, which was reported in this newsletter in June last year. In the late 1960s, Mr Weisz worked with his father’s business which pioneered an aluminium foundry for lace work furniture.

The Skyline Drive In Cinema was on the corner of Troughton Road and Musgrave Road in what is now Robertson. I’ve seen very few photos of it, but my colleague John Boers, town planner, who grew up on Troughton Road, sent me this photo.

Events

Chrome Street Fiesta

The Coopers Plains History Group and Moorooka History Group will be at the Chrome Street Fiesta from 2 – 5pm on May 30th. There will be a history walking tour of the Salisbury Munitions area (weather permitting), a fund quiz and prize as well as our usual information stall where historians will be ready to chat about local history. Details:
Food Connect Shed, 8 Textile Crescent, Salisbury.
More information on Facebook

Remembrance Day at God’s Acre

The Friends of God’s Acre will hold their annual memorial event on Sunday June 28th from 10am at Archerfield Cemetery in front of the Airport Terminal on the corner of Beatty and Grenier Roads. There will be a sausage sizzle and historical talk by one or two of the Committee, followed by a tour, usually focusing on one family and changing each year.
For more information see Friends of God’s Acre.

Regular Meetings

The Coopers Plains History Group meets at the Coopers Plains Library Meeting Room, which is booked on the 3rd Saturday at 4pm for February, April, June, August and October.
https://coopersplainshistory.bshn.org/

The Moorooka History Group is meeting on April 11th at 10am. Normally it meets on the 1st Saturday of the month at 10am at St Brendan’s Church (entrance at the left hand side) Hawtree Street, Moorooka. Call or text Barbara on 0422 287 425.

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