Truganina Explosives Reserve, Historic explosives storage facility in Altona, Australia

Truganina Explosives Reserve is a historic explosives storage facility in Altona containing 61 brick magazines. Each magazine has an independent roof designed to direct blast forces upward and sideways.

The facility operated from 1901 to 1962, storing explosives used in mining and construction work. A narrow-gauge horse-drawn tramway system transported materials throughout the reserve.

The reserve's name comes from Truganina, the area west of Melbourne, while the site itself lies in Altona. Explosives arrived by train at Laverton station, were reloaded by human chain into horse-drawn wagons, and hauled by Clydesdale horses at about 4.5 km/h along a 2.7 km tramway. Workers wore leather aprons and canvas overshoes to prevent sparks.

The reserve lies 16 km south-west of Melbourne and 8 km west of Williamstown, on the shore of Port Phillip Bay. The site is enclosed by a 2.4 m high galvanised corrugated iron fence. The former tramway ran along what are now Merton Street and Queen Street.

The reserve's name comes from Truganina, the area west of Altona where the storage site lay; the whole complex was enclosed by a galvanised corrugated iron fence 2.4 metres high and 11 kilometres long. Explosives arrived by Victorian Railways from Deer Park and were reloaded by human chain into horse-drawn wagons.