| Historical notes: | The RAAF Stores Depot, Dubbo, including 5 Igloo stores buildings type W3, 3 Bellman hangars, the Rabaul Store, Sidney Williams Hut, semi-underground PBX bunker, fomer Inflammable Liquids Store, railway spur lines and road system and remnant cypress pine woodland is important for its association with the development of Australia's defence for over 50 years from 1940. Important supporting buildings include the Administration Building and Pump House.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour brought America into the Second World War in 1942 and reinforced the fact that RAAF support in the northern areas of Australia was paramount to defence. The siting of the RAAF Stores Depot at Dubbo is important in illustrating the decision to locate training and maintenance depots well inland away from coastal areas and carrier borne aircraft on the principal strategic land corridors. In this respect the selection of the site for military use in 1940 capitalised on the selection and use of the site by the NSW Forestry Department which established the Dubbo State Forest on the site in 1927. The existing cypress pine forest and railway line allowed immediate rail servicing and the possibility of developing site planning which would limit expression of the site's military nature. The Dubbo State Forest is associated with the 1930s economic depression during which a number of local families made use of the area for campsites.
Completion of the major structures at No 6 RAAF Stores Depot Unit, mobilised in December 1942, by April 1943, made effective use of prefabricated and pre-cut structural designs developed from 1942. These techniques underpinned Australia's response to America's involvement in the war in January 1942, and the need to accommodate the enormous demands made on the local construction authorities across Australia, following the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese in February 1942. This is evident in the 5 Igloo stores buildings type W3, 3 Bellman hangars, the Rabaul Store, the former Inflammable Liquids Store and the Sidney Williams Hut. The Rabaul Store No.1 was erected by January 1943 at Dubbo following the Japanese invasion of Papua New Guinea. With the end of the Second World War in June 1945 No.6 Stores Depot was the largest in Australia in terms of size and stock.
The RAAF Stores Depot, Dubbo, including the 5 Igloo stores buildings type W3, 3 Bellman hangars, the Sidney Williams Hut, the former Flammable Materials Store, the Rabaul Store, semi-underground transmitting station, Administration Building, Pump House, railway spurs, road system and supporting buildings is important in demonstrating the functioning and design of Stores Depots erected during the Second World War, in response to America's involvement in the war, and the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese in February 1942. The 5 Igloo stores buildings, 3 Bellman hangars, the Sidney Williams Hut, the Rabaul Store and the timber framed former Inflammable Liquids Store are of exceptional interest, singly and as a group, in demonstrating the range of prefabricated and pre-cut structures and building technology employed after 1942.
The RAAF Stores Depot, Dubbo is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of Stores Depots erected in 1942. These characteristics are evident in the site planning and location and orientation of the 5 Igloo stores buildings, 3 Bellman hangars, the Sidney Williams Hut, the timber framed former Inflammable Liquids Store, the Rabaul Store, semi-underground PBX bunker, the Administration Building and the Pump House. The 5 Igloo stores buildings, 3 Bellman hangars, the Sidney Williams Hut, the Rabaul Store and former Inflammable Liquids Store are important in demonstrating the principal design and construction techniques characteristic of the range of prefabricated and pre-cut storage buildings developed before April 1943. In particular the Igloo storage buildings are important in illustrating the techniques employed to camouflage such large structures. These techniques included the orientation of the buildings and the use of camouflage shapes designed to soften the outline of the buildings.
The 5 Igloo stores buildings type W3 are important for their technical design, innovation and achievement in the use of prefabricated and pre-cut timber frames and trusses adapted from American designs to local materials. This is implicit in the light, nailed hardwood timber arch construction with a double intersection bracing system clad with corrugated galvanised iron sheeting which covers the largest storage buildings remaining from the Second World War.
The RAAF Stores Depot, Dubbo, is important as a place highly valued by members of the Dubbo community for its social associations. These values are expressed in the use of the site from 1941-1992 by the RAAF, the establishment in 1927 of the Dubbo State Forest by the Department of Forestry and the use of the site for Rodeos, Trade Fairs and Horse Shows during the post war years until 1992.
Principal Australian Historic Themes: 3.4 Exploiting natural resources, 7.7 Defending Australia.
There are probably Indigenous national estate values at this place. The commission is currently working with Dubbo Local Aboriginal Land Council to identify and asess these values. The site for the town of Dubbo was set out in May 1849. Development was slow until the latter part of the nineteenth century following the break up of large pastoral holdings. Blocks 147 and 148, the future site of RAAF Stores Depot No.6, were Reserved from Sale from December 1874 to December 1909, adjacent to the Common. The railway line from Orange to Dubbo was officially opened in 1881. By 1886 the line had been extended to the west, with a line from Dubbo to Molong constructed in 1925. The route of the latter line ran through the corner of Block 148.
The establishment of the NSW Forest Conservation Branch in 1882 led to the Forestry Act of 1907 and the creation of a separate Forestry Department. The Dubbo Acclimatisation Area set up on Blocks 147 and 148 was a direct result of the Amending Forestry Act of 1916. Dubbo State Forest No. 807 was dedicated on 18 February 1927 and was probably located to take advantage of the railway line. During the 1930s Depression the area of the State Forest was used by a number of families as a campsite.
The declaration of war in September 1939 led to Australia's involvement in the Second World War and to the further systematic expansion of defence sites which had begun in the mid 1930s. Dubbo Military Camp was erected to the south west of Dubbo in 1940/41. The Japanese attack on Pearl harbour in December 1941 led to America's involvement in the war and Australian concerns as to the safety of Australian Territory borne out when Darwin was bombed by the Japanese in February 1942.
RAAF support in the northern areas of Australia was paramount to defence. Principal Strategic Land Corridors were developed linking the various Australian spheres of operation, with Store depots well outside the range of carrier borne aircraft. Dubbo was chosen in preference to Orange and Parkes for a new aircraft repair depot, RAAF Stores Depot No. 5, renamed No.6, to be located on the former Dubbo State Forest land. Stores Depot No.5 was never built. Stores Depots 1-4 were located in the suburbs of the capital cities with Stores Depots 6, 7 and 10 located well inland to support training and maintenance functions. Stores Depots 8, 9, and 11 supported operational units in the northern areas of Australia.
The No.6 Stores Depot Unit was formed at Waterloo, Sydney in December 1942, quickly moving to Dubbo. Construction was well under way by July 1942, the scale of construction indicating that planning was well developed and comprehensive. By January 1943 the Headquarters Building, 2 x Bellman Hangars, Rabaul Store No.1 and two Inflammable Liquid stores were complemented by 5 large Igloo stores, a Guard House, a Transport Garage and an acid store. No.4 Igloo was under construction while No.5 Store had not yet been started. All buildings within the Depot were completed by April 1943, including Igloo Stores Nos 7, 8 and 10. The site was referred to as 'The Pines' due to the prominence of the State Forest.
A railway siding gave access to Store No.4 by November 1943 being extended to Store No. 5 later. By 1944 a parachute room, Post Office, 'K' Group weatherboard building, a prefabricated Painter's Shop, an emergency Power House and an underground PBX bunker (also referred to as a Wireless Transmitting Station) had been completed or were under construction. The semi underground Wireless Transmitting Station was constructed in the centre of the site.
By June 1945 the workforce totalled 866 personnel. A double Bellman Hangar, No.4A, 90x200 feet, and a Tropical Proofing Shop 30x75 feet had been erected by August 1945. With the cessation of hostilities the No.6 Stores Depot at Dubbo was the largest in Australia in terms of its size and the stock held. The Depot functioned in the immediate post-war period as a receiving Store with a large numbers of weapons held. Surplus stock was also subject to disposal. Dubbo City Council took over some of the Barracks buildings on the separate residential site, and in 1948 the hospital was vacated. National Service at the Depot started in 1951 with training flights in August 1951 from Dubbo Airport. RAAF No.6 Stores Depot was disbanded in November 1953 to be reformed into No.2 Stores depot, Detachment D, Dubbo, following the sites transfer to the Army in 1952. RAAF involvement ended in 1956.
Post-war uses, including leasing part of the land to Westhaven Sheltered Workshops 1960-1984 and use of part of the land by the Health Department, have resulted in the disposal of land at the north-west corner of the site. This area is now owned by the NSW Department of Health and the Baptist Church. In 1976 the Depot became the headquarters of the East Coast Plague Locust Commission and in 1978 the Natural Disasters Organisation entered into an agreement with the Army to store materials for natural disaster relief. The Rabaul Store appears to have been named at this time. Between 1945 and 1992 the Depot was used to stage events such as Trade Fairs, Rodeos and Horse Shows. The operational life of Detachment D ended in 1992. From 1992-1995 the Depot was used as a tri-service facility before becoming surplus to requirements. In 1997 the associated Barracks residential site was sold for residential development with the former Stores Depot also to be sold. |