Dry Creek explosives depot

The Dry Creek explosives depot is an industrial heritage site in South Australia containing ten specialized magazines for storing explosives. Each building featured insulated walls and ventilation shafts and could hold around 40 tons of explosive material, with protective mounds positioned between structures to contain any potential blast.

Construction began in 1906 when the South Australian Government's Department of Chemistry established the site as a replacement for the North Arm Powder Magazine. The new facility represented advances in safe storage practices needed to support the expanding mining and construction industries.

The facility shows how early industrial operations designed and used specialized storage for dangerous materials in a way that prioritized worker and neighborhood safety. The careful spacing of buildings with protective barriers reflects the practical engineering knowledge of the time.

The site is an inherited industrial grounds best explored during daylight hours when you can see how the buildings are arranged and the protective spacing between them. Sturdy shoes are recommended since the area is open terrain with uneven ground.

The depot operated a narrow gauge railway with six custom-built wagons that connected the magazines with each other, the river jetty, and the railway station. This transport system was an ingenious solution for moving explosives safely and efficiently without putting people at risk.

Location: South Australia

Inception: 1906

GPS coordinates: -34.82859,138.57986

Latest update: December 14, 2025 12:26