Ordnance Factory Bendigo

Built at Bendigo by the Department of Munitions as part of its wartime expansion of ordnance production, and opened in 1942 (the year is not confirmed) to make guns and mountings for the Navy and the Army. It was a new undertaking rather than a transfer from another body, and it was kept as a permanent government factory after the war.

1. 6 April 1948Moved to the Department of Supply and Development when the Department of Munitions was absorbed into it.
2. 16 March 1950Moved to the new Department of Supply.
3. 11 May 1951Moved to the new Department of Defence Production with the other government munitions factories.
4. 23 April 1958Returned to the Department of Supply when the Department of Defence Production was absorbed into it.
5. 12 June 1974Moved to the Department of Manufacturing Industry when the Department of Supply was abolished.
6. 22 December 1975Moved to the Department of Industry and Commerce.
7. 8 November 1976Moved to the new Department of Productivity, which took over the government defence factories.
8. 3 November 1980Returned to the Department of Industry and Commerce when the Department of Productivity was abolished.
9. 7 May 1982Moved to the new Department of Defence Support.
10. 13 December 1984Moved to the Department of Defence as part of the Office of Defence Production when the Department of Defence Support was abolished.

Transferred in May 1989, with the other government munitions and clothing factories of the Office of Defence Production, to the new Commonwealth company Australian Defence Industries Pty Ltd; the works continued in operation under ADI and later Thales Australia.

• Manufacture of naval guns and gun mountings
• Manufacture of artillery and ordnance components
• Heavy engineering and machining for defence

Last in the portfolio of Department of Defence.

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Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.