Burrundie Explosive Magazines

The magazines are significant for their association with the construction of the North Australian Railway which was an important factor in the opening up of the Top End of Australia. The underground magazine, built in 1885, demonstrates a high degree of technical achievement. Designed in Glasgow by Nobel’s Explosives Co Ltd it consists of an underground concrete chamber with a vaulted entrance stairway. It is one of two known to exist in the Northern Territory. The above ground magazine was built in 1896. It consists of a rectangular storage area with a vaulted ceiling. A system of air vents has prevented the ingress of water and has been very effective in stabilising air temperature and humidity. There is evidence that this magazine continued to be used for explosives until World War 2. The magazines are the only intact buildings in or around the Township of Burrundie.