Defence Site Maribyrnong

When the Second World War started, Australia was quickly cut off from British supplies. Because of this, many Commonwealth factories were created in order to meet the demand for military equipment. 

One such place was the Commonwealth Ordnance Facility Maribyrnong, now known as Defence Site Maribyrnong, which is set on 127 hectares (313 Acres) of land with over 400 buildings on site. 

Compared to many other Commonwealth Ordnance Facilities, the site at Maribyrnong was already pre-established as a defence site in 1908, with the sites original purpose being an explosives factory, however over time the facility expanded, with the addition of the Remount Depot, which supplied cavalry to the Australian Army. Eventually, the facility started manufacturing respirators.

According to the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre with their "Technology in Australia 1788-1988" manual, over half a million respirators were produced in 1940 alone. Aside from manufacturing respirators, the facility would also test gas masks, often trying to find ways to improve filter designs by allowing the use of locally obtained materials. 

The large majority of respirators produced at the site were the Mk.III, Mk.IV and Mk.V General Service Respirators, with a small amount of Australian Light Anti-Gas Respirator being produced at the facility as well. 

The facility also produced a wide variety of items, such as aircraft parts and explosive ordnance (Which is what the facility is most famous for). Due to the testing of explosives, the site is now heavily contaminated. 

Over 8,000 Australians worked at the facility in its peak in 1942, with roughly half of them being women, making the facility being one of the largest employers of Australian women during this time. However this changed in 1945 where the large majority of the female workforce was replaced by returned servicemen.

The facility, now abandoned, is unfortunately planned to be demolished in order to make way for a new residential housing area in around 2020 by government estimates.