Australian Trivia Only

[Greynomad]

Small correction (I blame chemo-brain, and I’m sticking with that!):

Cook did land at Botany Bay, and Joseph Banks collected plant samples there while the crew replenished their water supply.
And it was 18 years before the First Fleet arrived, not three as I reported.
Mea culpa.

[Greynomad]

Now for the question...

Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney was not always a military base.
What was its other function and when?

[Shirley]

Holsworthy Barracks use to be a storage facility, think it was ammunition & weapons? Wouldn't be that long ago I remember when so would be in my life time.

Certainly has a past, 1914-1918 it was an internees camp & I better add chemical storage to the above.
An Army camp since 1880, still reading the history.

[Greynomad]

Shirley,
It was your second fact I was after.
During WW1 it was used as an internment camp for “hostile aliens” (ie: anyone with a non-Anglo name)...

Your turn again.

ps. It’s still a storage facility for ammunition, fuel and some military hardware. Fascinating history...

[Shirley]

Certainly interesting reading the history of the barracks Ray, I'll have to find another question later, there was another military storage facility nearer to Homebush Bay.
Post another question if you have one, I'm busy with the g'sons today.

[pet-els]

Shirley that would have been "Newington" amunitions depot. A navel establishment that stored munitions in underground bunkers. Now there are huge flats used for the Olymic games in 2000. the Olymic park was built over the Abatoirs and State Brick works. Once in the far distant past I worked at the abatoirs [in the meat hall not the slaughter house].

PeterH

[Shirley]

Yes that's it Peter Newington ammunition depot, I grew up in the area the brickworks road & swamp was our playground, I learnt to swim in Powells Creek & the high tides use to come up to our back fence. the first time I actually went anywhere with Bruce was on the back of his Triumph Boneville bike for a ride out along the brickworks road, I was 15 yrs old.
I had 2 cousins that worked at the abattoirs, George Edmonds was bus driver & chauffeur, think that was his lifetime position & Ken Ashard he worked in the abattoirs itself.
Remember the saleyards opposite the Wentworth pub too.

[Shirley]

Easy one,
Why is the emu & kangaroo depicted on Australia's Commonwealth Coat of Arms?

[supersparky]

Because neither of them can take a step backwards. And of course, they are both native Australian animals.

[Shirley]

Correct David, Because these animals can't walk backwards, they are thought to represent a nation moving forward.

Post a new question please.