Commonwealth Acetate of Lime Factory, Industrial heritage site in Morningside, Brisbane, Australia.
The Commonwealth Acetate of Lime Factory in Morningside contains brick and timber buildings constructed between 1917 and 1920, featuring an evaporator house, alcohol still house, and engine room that operated as industrial facilities. Today the site functions as the Hans Continental Smallgoods factory, producing meat products for distribution throughout the country.
Built between 1917 and 1920, the facility manufactured acetate of lime for ammunition production during World War I, using sugar cane products sourced locally. The material was sent to the Maribyrnong Explosives Factory in Melbourne, where it was processed into cordite for weapons.
From 1949 to 1963, the building provided housing for newcomers from Britain and Europe who arrived during Australia's post-war immigration wave. The spaces inside tell the story of how people settled into their new home during this transformative period.
The property sits on Colmslie Road in Morningside and remains visibly recognizable by its original industrial buildings. Visitors should note that the site operates as an active factory today, so access may be limited or require advance arrangements.
This is the only Commonwealth Arsenal factory built in Queensland before World War II, showing how early the state participated in national defense manufacturing. This distinction makes it a rare example of Australian defense history from that era.
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