| Historical notes: | STATEMENT OF COUNTRY
Lithgow is located on Wiradjuri land (AIATSIS). The Wiradjuri are the people of the three rivers - the Wambuul (Macquarie), the Kalari (Lachlan) and the Murumbidjeri (Murrumbidgee). The Country of the Wiradjuri covers a significant part of regional NSW, being the largest Nation geographically in NSW and connected through a shared language and beliefs. The land of the Wiradjuri is diverse and provided all resources necessary for survival. .
EARLY LITHGOW
Some of the earliest contact between the Wiradjuri from the Lithgow area and the colonists came in May 1813 when Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth crossed into Wiradjuri land at Hartley, extending the colony into the interior of New South Wales in pursuit of fresh lands following drought. The 1813 crossing was followed by land grants in the region in 1814 and 1815, dispossessing the Wiradjuri inhabitants and leading to conflict. Martial law was declared on the 14 August 1824, and a military campaign was launched against the Wiradjuri with at least 100 deaths (National Museum of Australia, 2022).
ESTABLISHING THE SMALL ARMS FACTORY
In 1901, the newly federated Australian Government decided that the country required its own defence manufacturing capability. After considerable investigation by the Department of Defence, in 1908 Lithgow was chosen as the site to manufacture small arms, on a 48 hectare site purchased from J. L. Brown. Lithgow was uniquely well placed to support the manufacturing of small arms, with a keen workforce, natural defence provided by the Blue Mountains, an existing industrial hub with readily available coal and steel and a rail link to Sydney (Freeman, 2001). The proposed factory was to be equipped with the latest in manufacturing technology, but the buildings were to be of 'the plainest character' (Leader, 1908).
The Lithgow Small Arms Factory (SAF) was prioritised for rapid completion. Tenders were called for the supply of plant to manufacture the .303-inch Rifle SMLE No. 1 MK.III. Four serious tenders were received: three by British companies, and one from American firm Pratt & Whitney, with the Americans unexpectedly successful. Newspaper articles from the time demonstrate the reason behind this choice, stating "the Americans would have the machinery running before English firms scratched out the foundations" (The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, 1909).
In 1909 representatives of Pratt & Whitney arrived in Australia to assist in planning the facility, while 6 Australians were sent to Connecticut to train in gun-shop methods. This included Sir John Klunder Jensen, accountant and chief clerk of the SAF who pioneered scientific management at the site and later became Chief Clerk in the Department of Defence from 1914. The contract with Jones and Allman for construction was approved on 20 January 1910 and the first main building (Building 60) was completed in 1912 (Freeman, 2001). On 8 June 1912, the Lithgow SAF was officially opened, by Governor General Lord Denman. At the time of its opening, the Lithgow Small Arms Factory was remarked to be the most up-to-date rifle factory in the world (Casino and Kyogle Courier and North Coast Advertiser, 1912). The first manager of the factory, A.C. Wright, was an American from Pratt & Whitney (Freeman, 2001).
WORLD WAR I
Shortly after the opening of the Lithgow SAF, World War I loomed. Production was increased at the site through re-organisation of the facility, and employment ramped up. By December 1913, 1,500 rifles with bayonets had been manufactured and close to a hundred thousand rifles were produced between 1913 and 1918 (SAF Museum, 2012). Land nearby was subdivided and turned into residences for workers and managers at the SAF. The refusal of the government to put on additional shifts of work at the SAF during World War I, however, was met with anger from the community. It led to offers from women's groups to provide labour, although this was initially refused (Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser, 1915). By February 1916, 500 women were being trained to become munitions workers (Coffs Harbour Advocate, 1916), however evidence of female employment at the Lithgow SAF during World War I is scarce.
In the interwar period there was uncertainty over the future of the Lithgow SAF. The 'war to end all wars' had been waged, and there was concern that mass retrenchment would follow despite assurances to the contrary (The Capricornian, 1918). With declining demand for munitions, the operations at Lithgow were diversified. The General Machine Shop was constructed and, along with the original facilities, was used for the production of various civilian items, including combs and cutters for sheep shearing, hand-cuffs and machinery parts. Production of the Vickers Machine Gun commenced in the late 1920s, leading to the construction of the Vickers Building, which would also go on to manufacture the Vickers anti-aircraft and tank guns. The Bren Gun was also produced at the site from 1939, after personnel went to England in 1937 to study manufacturing techniques.
WORLD WAR II
At the outbreak of World War II, the Lithgow SAF once again became the pinnacle of the Home Front, with feeder factories constructed within 150 miles of the Lithgow operations. The war resulted in the expansion of facilities, with John Grant & Sons granted a 51,681 pound contract to extend tool rooms and machine shops (Freeman, 2001). This period also saw the construction of the Rifle Production Building (building 65) and Administration Building (building 62) to meet the need for greater capacity, and the introduction of anti-aircraft guns on site to protect the operations.
Women were employed in various roles at the factory, including in the production of rifles, ammunition, and other essential military equipment. They worked as machine operators, assemblers, and in other manufacturing roles, contributing significantly to Australia's war effort. This marked a significant shift in gender roles, as many women who had not previously worked in industry gained new skills and employment experience during the war. One notable female employee of the factory was Helidore ('Dore') Hawthorne, who drew artistic inspiration from her experiences at the site. The drawings of Dore Hawthorne would go on to be exhibited in Sydney and provided a unique insight into the operations of the Lithgow SAF and the home front, described as "a pictorial diary of the life of factory workershows how hard munitions manufacture must have been and the dedicated support back home of those serving overseas". (The Australian War Memorial, undated). During 1943, at the peak period of production there were almost 6,000 people employed at the Lithgow factory, including 2000 women. Following the end of the war and the return of servicemen, women including Dore Hawthorne were retrenched.
POST-WAR REORGANISATION
Post war, the Lithgow SAF was reorganised. In 1954, the SAF entered into a manufacturing agreement with the Fabrique Nationale d' Armes de Guerre of Belgium to produce the FAL rifle at Lithgow (SAF Museum, 2012). This led to the construction of new buildings and procurement of new machine tools, and the first rifles were delivered to Armed Services in 1959. The facilities at Lithgow were upgraded over time as new weapons systems were developed.
In 1989, the facility was transferred from the Commonwealth to the control of Australian Defence Industries Pty Ltd. It is now under the ownership of Thales Group. A museum showcasing the manufactured output of the Lithgow Small Arms Factory has been run by volunteers since 1996 (officially opened 1998) in the administration building constructed as part of the post-war adaptation of the site. Based on the factory's own historic 'reference library' of items collected throughout its history its collection is focused on small arms and other objects manufactured on-site, but also includes international examples of small arms collected by factory management throughout the twentieth century for reference purposes. (Freeman, 2001) |