Bunker

November 22, 2021

Urban Exploring: The Birthday Bunker

South Australia at War

World War 2 began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland on 3 September 1939.

South Australian Premier Tom Playford lobbied the federal member of munitions and the minister of munitions for government defense contracts.

Adelaide’s advanced motor vehicle industry and the facilities of the South Australian Railway Workshops made South Australia an ideal site to manufacture complex munitions equipment.

War production in South Australia

Urban Exploring The Birthday Bunker — Awesome Adelaide — A 1942 card from the papers of Audrey Symons, who worked at the factory during World War Two. (Source: State Library of SA)

Three major government facilities were built. The Hendon Ammunition Factory — built to manufacture small arms ammunition. Finsbury Munitions Factory — shell casings, cartridge cases, and fuses. The Salisbury Explosives Factory filling components with explosive powder.

Secret underground telecommunication installations like the Doomsday Bunker, the RAAF Remote Semi-Underground Bunker, and The Bomb Shelter were built around the state to aid in communication and to intercept enemy messages.

The Sleeps Hill Railway Tunnels were converted into ammunition bunkers and storage vaults for the states treasures.

Air Raid Shelters like the Prospect Air Raid Shelter and the Islington Air Raid Shelter were constructed to aid in communication and provide shelter from enemy bombardment.

Home-made bunkers like The Clarice Bunker, The Jackson Bunker, The Family Fallout Shelter and Pharaoh’s Tomb were built for individual, family and town protection from attack and radioactive fallout.

Aircraft like The McDonald’s West Lakes Party Plane were re-purposed as supply planes.

Fort Largs and Fort Glanville were built to defend the city of Adelaide against attack.

Numerous rural bunkers were built to store ammunition and fuel.

The Birthday Bunker

Since 2015 we’ve been exploring one such pre-Cold War era bunker. Long abandoned by the Australian Defence Forces, it sits out-of-sight; hidden below-ground, in rural South Australia.

Its new owner turned the bunker into a ‘man cave’ and recreation room. Complete with a stove, an oven, seating, bunk-beds and large firepit — everything required for an all-night bender.

Walls and ceiling are decorated with West End, Strongbow, and Coca-Cola signage. Artwork of Simpsons characters line the walls wishing family members ‘happy birthday’ and ‘well wishes’ on their special day.

We can only imagine the excessive alcohol consumption that has occurred here and the life long memories forged in such an impressive place…

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January 2, 2016

Urban Exploring: Prospect Air Raid Shelter

It was the early 1940’s. Japanese submarines fired torpedoes in Sydney Harbor and its Air Force began its bombing campaign against Darwin. Fearing we were next, State and Local Government built a network of Air Raid Communication Centres across Adelaide to coordinate a local response to air raids by the Japanese.

One of the Air Raid Shelters, located at Prospect, has sat disused for 10 years. For a time it was used by the Scalextric Club, the Prospect Boy Scouts, St John Ambulance Service for training, and at one time, a ham radio operators’ centre. Water penetration and neglect have rendered the structure non-functional.

Prospect Air Raid Shelter — Awesome Adelaide — The Prospect Air Raid Shelter.

The Shelter is one of only four of its kind left in the Adelaide area, with the remaining three at South Road in Torrensville, Rugless Terrace in Glenelg, and Oxford Terrace in Unley. A similar shelter, the Islington Air Raid Shelter, was not built for communications but for storage of emergency food, blankets and other supplies.

Prospect Air Raid Shelter Plans — Awesome Adelaide — The design for the Air Raid Shelters was drawn up by the Engineering and Water Supply Department of South Australia (now SA Water). (Photo courtesy Prospect Local History Group)

This January, the Prospect Council will vote on whether to demolish the structure or restore it. A local History Group hopes the shelter will be re-used as an interpretive history centre highlighting aspects of the area during World War II. However not having local heritage status, we fear its fate is already sealed. Make your voice heard.