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156-577: Bankstown is a suburb of Sydney , in the state of New South Wales , Australia. It is located 19 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Canterbury-Bankstown region. Bankstown is the administrative centre of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown , having previously been the administrative centre of the City of Bankstown prior to 2016. It is the most populous suburb within
312-693: A southerly buster , a powerful southerly that brings gale winds and a rapid fall in temperature. Since Sydney is downwind of the Great Dividing Range , it occasionally experiences dry, westerly foehn winds typically in winter and early spring (which are the reason for its warm maximum temperatures). Westerly winds are intense when the Roaring Forties (or the Southern Annular Mode ) shift towards southeastern Australia, where they may damage homes and affect flights , in addition to making
468-526: A General Masters store and an orderly room. A kitchen, canteen and store were at the centre of the Rest Room and Kitchen Building (C7 military huts). The Equipment Officer's Room and the officers buffet and rest room were located on one side of the kitchen-canteen complex with the other ranks buffet and rest room located on the other. The next building encountered along the driveway was the Male Latrine, which
624-484: A Sean Connery 007 movie." Unfortunately, approximately four months after the location of the bunker was made public, the interior of the building was destroyed by fire. The fire is thought to have been started by either homeless people taking shelter in the bunker, or vandals. The blaze began on the evening of 9 August and is said to have burned for more than a week. In the early 1970s the Department of Defence handed over
780-668: A clear day, reportedly the arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge could be seen. The land, which was owned by the Bankstown Hospital Trust, was resumed under National Security Regulations. The Commonwealth Government later acquired the site in circa August 1945. Approval for the construction of the Fighter Sector Headquarters was given by the Minister of Air, as an urgent war measure, on 7 November 1942. Work on
936-677: A corridor that ran in an east–west direction. Lining the south side of the corridor were three height converter booths. An additional height converter booth was located on the north side of the corridor. Immediately north of this room was the Search-Light Operations Room. At the eastern end of corridor on north side was the Male Army Latrine. Immediately north of Latrine was the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) Latrine and Army Buffet mentioned earlier. A door opening in
1092-514: A feature of Sydney's topography. After Phillip's departure in December 1792, the colony's military officers began acquiring land and importing consumer goods from visiting ships. Former convicts engaged in trade and opened small businesses. Soldiers and former convicts built houses on Crown land, with or without official permission, in what was now commonly called Sydney town. Governor William Bligh (1806–08) imposed restrictions on commerce and ordered
1248-661: A few areas of wet sclerophyll forests in the wetter, elevated areas in the north and northeast . These forests are defined by straight, tall tree canopies with a moist understory of soft-leaved shrubs, tree ferns and herbs. The predominant vegetation community in Sydney is the Cumberland Plain Woodland in Western Sydney ( Cumberland Plain ), followed by the Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest in
1404-503: A fresh water supply and a safe harbour, which Philip described as "the finest Harbour in the World ... Here a Thousand Sail of the Line may ride in the most perfect Security". The settlement was planned to be a self-sufficient penal colony based on subsistence agriculture. Trade and shipbuilding were banned in order to keep the convicts isolated. However, the soil around the settlement proved poor and
1560-597: A pattern of resistance that was to be repeated as the colonial frontier expanded . A military garrison was established on the Hawkesbury in 1795. The death toll from 1794 to 1800 was 26 settlers and up to 200 Darug. Conflict again erupted from 1814 to 1816 with the expansion of the colony into Dharawal country in the Nepean region south-west of Sydney. Following the deaths of several settlers, Governor Macquarie dispatched three military detachments into Dharawal lands, culminating in
1716-479: A planner to design the street layout of Sydney and commissioned the construction of roads, wharves, churches, and public buildings. Parramatta Road , linking Sydney and Parramatta, was opened in 1811, and a road across the Blue Mountains was completed in 1815, opening the way for large-scale farming and grazing west of the Great Dividing Range . Following the departure of Macquarie, official policy encouraged
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#17328515982871872-730: A potential operations headquarters for the Civil Defence and Emergency Department (also known as the State Emergency Service ). No 7 Fighter Sector Headquarters, like the other Fighter Sector Headquarters, was formed in haste (on 4 May 1942) and the Operations Room was set up in the Preston Town Hall, Melbourne. No. 7 Fighter Sector Headquarters appears to have remained at the Preston Town Hall until February 1946 when it
2028-505: A public park, surrounded by residential dwellings at the northern end of Taylor Street. After World War II, Bankstown's population increased dramatically. People relocated from the inner-city and incoming migrants came, first as refugees from Europe and towards the end of the 20th century from Asia and the Middle East (especially Vietnamese and Lebanese) and the rest of the world. Bankstown Council relocated to its third premises in 1963 when
2184-503: A receiver and transmitter). In the case of the Sydney ADHQ relay stations were considered unnecessary by Defence authorities as it was anticipated that the height of the sites selected for the new VHF transmitter and receiver stations would ensure satisfactory communications. As it turned out, the new transmitting and receiver stations were never built and the Sydney ADHQ relied on the existing receiving station at Picnic Point , Revesby and
2340-423: A rich ceremonial life, part of a belief system centring on ancestral, totemic and supernatural beings. People from different clans and language groups came together to participate in initiation and other ceremonies. These occasions fostered trade, marriages and clan alliances. The earliest British settlers recorded the word ' Eora ' as an Aboriginal term meaning either 'people' or 'from this place'. The clans of
2496-561: A severe dust storm towards the city . The Greater Sydney Commission divides Sydney into three "cities" and five "districts" based on the 33 LGAs in the metropolitan area. The "metropolis of three cities" comprises Eastern Harbour City , Central River City and Western Parkland City . The Australian Bureau of Statistics also includes City of Central Coast (the former Gosford City and Wyong Shire) as part of Greater Sydney for population counts, adding 330,000 people. The CBD extends about 3 km (1.9 mi) south from Sydney Cove . It
2652-399: A shopping arcade running through it. Foundation stones from the old Town Halls have been preserved in a display outside the current Council Chambers. In 1939, local residents were made privy to the events of World War II. Conscripted residents were required to report for duty at a drill hall on Canterbury Road, Belmore. Camps were set up in and around Canterbury Racecourse and local parks in
2808-434: A single 'c series (c.12) military hut. Unlike the Male Latrine there was no division between officers and other ranks, in facilities provided. At end of the drive was the garage comprising four posts and skillion roof . The Former Air Defence Headquarters is a semi-underground bunker that became fully underground after construction. The building was constructed using a "cut and fill" method. The soil excavated from digging
2964-504: A site plan dated 4 November 1942, floor layout and section drawings dated 3 March 1943, A plan of alterations and additions to the ADHQ (specifically the Gun Room, Army Switch and Test Room) dated 27 August 1943 and the building specification dated circa November 1942. Four of the above ground, support buildings are shown on the 1942 site plan as being grouped around a driveway , which branched off
3120-724: A year have temperatures at or above 30 °C (86 °F) in the central business district (CBD). In contrast, the metropolitan area averages between 35 and 65 days, depending on the suburb. The hottest day in the metropolitan area occurred in Penrith on 4 January 2020, where a high of 48.9 °C (120.0 °F) was recorded. The average annual temperature of the sea ranges from 18.5 °C (65.3 °F) in September to 23.7 °C (74.7 °F) in February. Sydney has an average of 7.2 hours of sunshine per day and 109.5 clear days annually. Due to
3276-537: Is a historical Victorian-style shopping arcade . Opened on 1 April 1892, its shop fronts are an exact replica of the original internal shopping facades. Westfield Sydney , located beneath the Sydney Tower , is the largest shopping centre by area in Sydney. Bankstown Bunker The Bankstown Bunker , formerly known as Air Defence Headquarters Sydney (ADHQ Sydney), is a heritage-listed defunct Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operations facility, located on
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#17328515982873432-528: Is bordered by Farm Cove within the Royal Botanic Garden to the east and Darling Harbour to the west. Suburbs surrounding the CBD include Woolloomooloo and Potts Point to the east, Surry Hills and Darlinghurst to the south, Pyrmont and Ultimo to the west, and Millers Point and The Rocks to the north. Most of these suburbs measure less than 1 km (0.4 sq mi) in area. The Sydney CBD
3588-451: Is characterised by narrow streets and thoroughfares, created in its convict beginnings. Several localities, distinct from suburbs, exist throughout Sydney's inner reaches. Central and Circular Quay are transport hubs with ferry, rail, and bus interchanges. Chinatown , Darling Harbour, and Kings Cross are important locations for culture, tourism, and recreation. The Strand Arcade , located between Pitt Street Mall and George Street ,
3744-549: Is currently buried under a public park which lies at the end of Taylor Street, and is not accessible by the general public. From 1945 to 1947 the Bankstown bunker was used as a covert Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base. Construction of the facility commenced in late 1942 at a cost of A£ 30,579 with its official commissioning in January 1945 as the headquarters for No. 1 Fighter Sector RAAF . This unit had previously operated from
3900-402: Is of similar design to the underground Ops rooms of wartime England, which directed Britain's air defence fighter plane attacks on the invading German Luftwaffe . Entrance to the bunker was obtained through a concrete passageway which was well screened by a grassy slope; a stairway led to a maze of corridors and hallways leading to various sections. The Bankstown bunker is currently buried under
4056-638: Is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia . Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 km (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 km (50 mi) from the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in
4212-704: Is today commemorated by a plaque. The school was demolished in 1924 due to the development of North Bankstown School in the same year. The current Bankstown Public School, located on Restwell Street, opened in 1915. It recently celebrated its centenary (1915–2015). Bankstown West Public School, located on the western side of the suburb, opened in 1931. Since then Bankstown has seen the development of several different educational facilities, such as, Al Amanah College , Bankstown Senior College (formerly Bankstown Boys High School 1963–1991), Bankstown Girls High School , Georges River Grammar School , LaSalle Catholic College and St Euphemia College . Tertiary institutions located in
4368-409: The 2021 census , Bankstown recorded a population of 34,933 people, of which 50.4% were female and 49.6% were male. The median age of the Bankstown population was 34 years, 4 years below the national median of 38. Bankstown has one of the most ethnically diverse communities in Australia. Bankstown is considered one of the most multicultural areas in the country with over 60 different languages spoken by
4524-512: The Appin massacre (April 1816) in which at least 14 Aboriginal people were killed. The New South Wales Legislative Council became a semi-elected body in 1842. Sydney was declared a city the same year, and a governing council established, elected on a restrictive property franchise. The discovery of gold in New South Wales and Victoria in 1851 initially caused economic disruption as men moved to
4680-455: The Australian raven , Australian magpie , crested pigeon , noisy miner and the pied currawong . Introduced bird species ubiquitously found in Sydney are the common myna , common starling , house sparrow and the spotted dove . Reptile species are also numerous and predominantly include skinks . Sydney has a few mammal and spider species, such as the grey-headed flying fox and
4836-708: The City of Canterbury-Bankstown . Before European settlement, Cumberland Plains woodland occupied much of the area. Turpentine ironbark forest covered much of what is now Bankstown. The land was occupied by the Bediagal people. Their land bordered the Dharawal and the Darung people. In 1795, Matthew Flinders and George Bass explored up the Georges River for about 32 kilometres (20 mi) beyond what had been previously surveyed, and reported favourably to Governor Hunter of
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4992-459: The Cooks River into Botany Bay. There is no single definition of the boundaries of Sydney. The Australian Statistical Geography Standard definition of Greater Sydney covers 12,369 km (4,776 sq mi) and includes the local government areas of Central Coast in the north, Hawkesbury in the north-west, Blue Mountains in the west, Sutherland Shire in the south, and Wollondilly in
5148-590: The First Fleet of convicts , led by Arthur Phillip , founded Sydney as a British penal colony , the first European settlement in Australia. After World War II, Sydney experienced mass migration and by 2021 over 40 per cent of the population was born overseas. Foreign countries of birth with the greatest representation are mainland China, India, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and the Philippines. Despite being one of
5304-485: The Garden Island Tunnel System , the only tunnel warfare complex in Sydney, and the heritage-listed military fortification systems Bradleys Head Fortification Complex and Middle Head Fortifications , which were part of a total defence system for Sydney Harbour . A post-war immigration and baby boom saw a rapid increase in Sydney's population and the spread of low-density housing in suburbs throughout
5460-598: The Harbour City . Aboriginal Australians have inhabited the Greater Sydney region for at least 30,000 years, and their engravings and cultural sites are common. The traditional custodians of the land on which modern Sydney stands are the clans of the Darug , Dharawal and Eora peoples. During his first Pacific voyage in 1770, James Cook charted the eastern coast of Australia, making landfall at Botany Bay . In 1788,
5616-631: The Middle East and Africa becoming major sources. By 2021, the population of Sydney was over 5.2 million, with 40% of the population born overseas. China and India overtook England as the largest source countries for overseas-born residents. Sydney is a coastal basin with the Tasman Sea to the east, the Blue Mountains to the west, the Hawkesbury River to the north, and the Woronora Plateau to
5772-481: The New South Wales State Heritage Register on 18 November 2011. After the arrival of General Douglas MacArthur in Australia during World War II , Bankstown Airport was established as a key strategic air force base to support the war effort. During this period the specially constructed bunker became an important RAAF headquarters from 1945 until its closure in 1947. The Bankstown bunker
5928-601: The Sydney funnel-web , respectively, and has a huge diversity of marine species inhabiting its harbour and beaches. Under the Köppen–Geiger classification , Sydney has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) with "warm, sometimes hot" summers and "generally mild", to "cool" winters. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation , the Indian Ocean Dipole and the Southern Annular Mode play an important role in determining Sydney's weather patterns: drought and bushfire on
6084-639: The University of New South Wales are ranked 18th and 19th in the world respectively. Sydney has hosted major international sporting events such as the 2000 Summer Olympics , the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final , and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Final . The city is among the top fifteen most-visited, with millions of tourists coming each year to see the city's landmarks. The city has over 1,000,000 ha (2,500,000 acres) of nature reserves and parks , and its notable natural features include Sydney Harbour and Royal National Park . The Sydney Harbour Bridge and
6240-602: The University of Sydney (1854–61), the Australian Museum (1858–66), the Town Hall (1868–88), and the General Post Office (1866–92). Elaborate coffee palaces and hotels were erected. Daylight bathing at Sydney's beaches was banned, but segregated bathing at designated ocean baths was popular. Drought, the winding down of public works and a financial crisis led to economic depression in Sydney throughout most of
6396-399: The ethnic diversity of the area has resulted in a host of restaurants, eateries and cafes . Bankstown Central , formerly known as Centro Bankstown and previously known as Bankstown Square, is a large shopping centre, immediately to the northeast of the railway station. It was first opened in 1966 and has been expanded a number of times. Bankstown is the seat of major industry including
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6552-590: The "Aborigines of Australia" declared 26 January "A Day of Mourning " for "the whiteman's seizure of our country." With the outbreak of Second World War in 1939, Sydney experienced a surge in industrial development. Unemployment virtually disappeared and women moved into jobs previously typically reserved for males. Sydney was attacked by Japanese submarines in May and June 1942 with 21 killed. Households built air raid shelters and performed drills. Military establishments in response to World War II in Australia included
6708-610: The 1890s. Meanwhile, the Sydney-based premier of New South Wales, George Reid , became a key figure in the process of federation. When the six colonies federated on 1 January 1901, Sydney became the capital of the State of New South Wales. The spread of bubonic plague in 1900 prompted the state government to modernise the wharves and demolish inner-city slums. The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 saw more Sydney males volunteer for
6864-499: The 4-hectare (9-acre) site to the Commonwealth Department of Housing . In 1976 a Defence Housing Authority medium density housing scheme, designed by architectural firm Robertson and Hindmarsh Pty Ltd, was constructed on the former ADHQ site. The housing estate was designed to ensure that the underground bunker was located in one of the open spaces of the estate. It was at this time that the above ground, support buildings for
7020-465: The Army Buffet, with access to AWAS Latrine, located at its southern end. Immediately in front of the entry door (across the passage) was an antechamber. A door in the north wall of the chamber led to the optical angulator. According to the floor plan, if a visitor turned right upon entering the bunker, and followed the corridor as it ran north along the eastern perimeter of the building they would find
7176-557: The CBD. In the warm season black nor'easters are usually the cause of heavy rain events, though other forms of low-pressure areas , including remnants of ex-cyclones , may also bring heavy deluge and afternoon thunderstorms. 'Snow' was last alleged in 1836, more than likely a fall of graupel , or soft hail; and in July 2008 the Upper North Shore saw a fall of graupel that was mistaken by many for 'snow'. In 2009, dry conditions brought
7332-531: The Capital Hall in Bankstown. This unit was formed in Bankstown, on 25 February 1942. Their living quarters were located next door and down the road from the hall and the staff were housed in galvanised iron barracks. Operations were handed over to the United States Army Air Corps on 10 April 1942 before they were transferred to a disused railway tunnel at St James railway station in Sydney. The unit
7488-578: The Capital Hall picture theatre in Bankstown and a tunnel under the St James railway station . The bunker was manned at all times in shifts that the Air Force called "Flights". Most of the personnel that worked in the bunker were local. Even so, the Air Force provided accommodation for them in Chapel Road, Bankstown whilst buses with blacked-out windows transported military personnel to the bunker. All staff for
7644-539: The Civic Centre that was located at the corner of Chapel Road and The Mall was constructed. It included the Council Chambers, or 'Roundhouse'. The current town hall was built in 1973. The administration building which was part of the 1963 premises, was destroyed by fire on 1 July 1997. Council offices relocated to Bankstown Civic Tower (the blue tower) in 1999. On 13 June 2000, Bankstown's now popular Central Park, where
7800-547: The Controllers Gallery. Projecting out over the western end, of the upper part of the Operations Room, was a small platform, that gave access to indicator boards presumably associated with the Teleprinter and Traffic Room, located immediately behind the platform. The room immediately adjacent to the south wall of the Teleprinter and Traffic Room housed Emergency Wireless Telegraph/Telephony equipment. The northern half of
7956-473: The Cumberland Plain. Immigrants—mostly from Britain and continental Europe—and their children accounted for over three-quarters of Sydney's population growth between 1947 and 1971. The newly created Cumberland County Council oversaw low-density residential developments, the largest at Green Valley and Mount Druitt . Older residential centres such as Parramatta, Bankstown and Liverpool became suburbs of
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#17328515982878112-626: The Department of Aircraft Production gave approval for aircraft manufacturer Hawker De Havilland to operate a factory at the airport for the production and manufacture of de Havilland Mosquito bombers . There are now over seven-thousand businesses operating within the Bankstown district. The Bankstown Bunker is a disused RAAF operations facility, located on the corner of Marion and Edgar Street, Bankstown. The specially constructed bunker became an important Royal Australian Air Force headquarters from 1945 until its closure in 1947. The Bankstown Bunker
8268-470: The Fighter Sector Headquarters operated out of tents and then a rough shed at Sandfly Gully, a kilometre south of the Darwin airstrip. At a later date an Operations Room was constructed at Berrimah, 15 km east of Darwin. Information provided by men who worked at the site indicates that the building was a semi underground structure, that initially comprising one room but which was later expanded to two rooms. In
8424-568: The Fighter Sector Headquarters were to: Sydney Fighter Sector Headquarters, known as No. 1 Fighter Sector Headquarters (1FSHQ), was established on 25 February 1942 and was responsible for the aerial defence of New South Wales. A temporary operations and plotting room were set up at the Capitol Picture Theatre in Bankstown (now the site of Bankstown Town Hall). Less than two months later, on 16 April, 1FSHQ handed over its responsibilities to
8580-470: The Filter Room. At the eastern end of the upper part of the Operations Room (ground floor level), was the Controllers Gallery. The Controller was generally a pilot of senior rank who was equipped with telephones and a radio. The radio allowed him to speak directly to fighter aircraft sent to interpret hostile aircraft. A series of four R/T (Radio Telephony) Cabinet Rooms were accessible from the eastern end of
8736-792: The Inner West and Northern Sydney , the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub in the coastline and the Blue Gum High Forest scantily present in the North Shore – all of which are critically endangered. The city also includes the Sydney Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland found in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park on the Hornsby Plateau to the north. Sydney is home to dozens of bird species, which commonly include
8892-455: The New Lambton Public School for its operations before moving to Ash Island on 3 December 1944. No. 2 Fighter Sector Headquarters was to be responsible for fighter aircraft control and coordination for the Newcastle and Hunter region. However, it appears that 2FSHQ was non-operational and functioned as a training facility while, located at New Lambton. There is no indication that a purpose built headquarters (similar to that built in Condell Park)
9048-409: The No. 2 Volunteer Air Observers Corps (VAOC) had taken their places. Documentary evidence indicates that the search for a permanent site to construct a purpose built combined Fighter Sector Headquarters and Gun Operation Room was underway by August 1942. Eventually the site of a shallow quarry on Black Charlie's Hill was selected. The site had extensive views to the east, west and to the south and on
9204-403: The Search-light Operations Room and the Naval Plotting Room. The new covert Air Defence Headquarters became operational in January 1945. The unit history report for this period indicates that 49 officers and 128 other ranks of the RAAF and WAAAF staffed the ADHQ along with personnel from the Army, Navy and Volunteer Air Corp. However, as the ADHQ operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week not all of
9360-409: The Signals Room, which was located in the north-east corner of the bunker. The Signals Room was where incoming communications form the telephone, teleprinters and radar would be sorted before being distributed to the relevant people in the ADHQ. Turning left at the Signals Room provided access to a corridor that ran almost the length of the northern end of the ground floor. The first door encountered on
9516-420: The Sydney area occupied land with traditional boundaries. There is debate, however, about which group or nation these clans belonged to, and the extent of differences in language and rites. The major groups were the coastal Eora people, the Dharug (Darug) occupying the inland area from Parramatta to the Blue Mountains, and the Dharawal people south of Botany Bay. Darginung and Gundungurra languages were spoken on
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#17328515982879672-442: The Sydney region are grassy woodlands (i.e. savannas ) and some pockets of dry sclerophyll forests, which consist of eucalyptus trees, casuarinas , melaleucas , corymbias and angophoras , with shrubs (typically wattles , callistemons , grevilleas and banksias ), and a semi-continuous grass in the understory . The plants in this community tend to have rough, spiky leaves due to low soil fertility . Sydney also features
9828-427: The US Army Air Corps and the unit was disbanded. In the next few months, the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) relocated air defence operations to a disused railway tunnel near St James railway station in the city. On 3 August 1942 1FSHQ was reformed under the command of the RAAF Headquarters Eastern Area and the 1FSHQ once again took over responsibility for the air defence of New South Wales. The operations room
9984-568: The Union Jack 165 years earlier, commencing her Australian Royal Tour . It was the first time a reigning monarch stepped onto Australian soil. Increasing high-rise development in Sydney and the expansion of suburbs beyond the "green belt" envisaged by the planners of the 1950s resulted in community protests. In the early 1970s, trade unions and resident action groups imposed green bans on development projects in historic areas such as The Rocks. Federal, State and local governments introduced heritage and environmental legislation. The Sydney Opera House
10140-429: The V.A.O.C R/D/F rooms and the upper part of the Operation Room. The Guns Room (anti-aircraft guns) and the Search-Light Operations Room dominated the southern half of the ground floor of the bunker. Adjacent to the southern wall of the Guns Room was an Army Switch Room (south-west corner of the main section of the bunker) and a Test Room. Exiting through a door opening in the east wall of the Test Room provided access to
10296-409: The World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House are major tourist attractions. Central Station is the hub of Sydney's suburban train, metro and light rail networks and longer-distance services. The main passenger airport serving the city is Kingsford Smith Airport , one of the world's oldest continually operating airports. In 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip , the first governor of New South Wales, named
10452-420: The armed forces than the Commonwealth authorities could process, and helped reduce unemployment. Those returning from the war in 1918 were promised "homes fit for heroes" in new suburbs such as Daceyville and Matraville. "Garden suburbs" and mixed industrial and residential developments also grew along the rail and tram corridors. The population reached one million in 1926, after Sydney had regained its position as
10608-513: The arrival of the British, there were 4,000 to 8,000 Aboriginal people in the greater Sydney region. The inhabitants subsisted on fishing, hunting, and gathering plants and shellfish. The diet of the coastal clans was more reliant on seafood whereas hinterland clans ate more forest animals and plants. The clans had distinctive equipment and weapons mostly made of stone, wood, plant materials, bone and shell. They also differed in their body decorations, hairstyles, songs and dances. Aboriginal clans had
10764-485: The assigned personnel were on duty at one time. For security reasons, the personnel were transported to and from the ADHQ by bus. Accommodation for ADHQ personnel was located in the Bankstown Shopping area. With the end of WWII in the Pacific in September 1945, the VAOC ceased full-time operations and the RAAF and WAAAF staff were demobilised. In January 1947 the ADHQ unit was disbanded and the bunker closed. The building remained unoccupied until c. 1965 , when it
10920-413: The aviation, engineering and maintenance at Bankstown Airport . Other employers include small industrial operations, the public service and the retail industry. The suburb is affected with unusually high unemployment and is subject to a dedicated income management program specifically targeting the problem. Bankstown railway station is on the Bankstown line of the Sydney Trains network. The rail line
11076-472: The basement level into the natural ground, was used to cover the second-storey which was constructed above ground. The underground bunker comprised two levels, a ground floor and basement both 9' (2.75m) in height. The exterior walls of the structure were constructed of brick approximately 2' (61 cm) in thickness, and were protected with earth filling. The Interior partition walls were mostly constructed of brick and timber and clad with caneite. A visitor to
11232-453: The building. After passing through the concrete passageway a visitor to the bunker would emerge in a light lock, access to the bunker was through a door in the wall immediately in front of them. Stepping through the door, a visitor would find themself confronting a guard, who was no doubt tasked with vetting the identity of anyone who gained access to the bunker. To the left of the entry door stretched an almost 8 metres long corridor which led to
11388-707: The bunker had to undergo special training, including 'plane identification' training that also took place at Chapel Road. The bunker was manned by members of the No.2 Volunteer Air Observer Corps , the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force , members of the Royal Australian Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces . A transmitting station for the bunker was located in Johnston Road, Bass Hill and
11544-416: The bunker in the 1970s stated that the interior was painted "in army colours." The ceiling and floors comprised reinforced concrete 4" (10.2 cm) thick. The flat, overhanging concrete roof of the bunker, was at least 18" (45.7 cm) thick and was designed survive a direct hit from a 500 1b bomb. A 3/4" (1.9 cm) thick layer of asphalt was laid over the flat concrete roof as a damp course. The asphalt
11700-405: The bunker was dominated by the upper part of the two-storey high Volunteer Air Observers Corp (V.A.O.C) and R/D/F (Radar Directional Finder) Filter Rooms. The Filter Room was where reports of aircraft sighting were "filtered" to establish their height and bearing. The Movements Gallery, where all allied aircraft movements in the operational area were recorded, was sandwiched between the upper part of
11856-426: The bunker were demolished. The exact location of the main entry and exit passages into the bunker are not known, as the area over the top and sides of the building has been landscaped concealing the bunker's existence. However, in the 1980s and 1990s the bunker was entered at least three occasions. On one such occasion, a film crew from the popular television show Burke's Backyard , crawled through an air vent into
12012-422: The coastal region. The rising sea level between 18,000 and 6,000 years ago flooded the rias to form estuaries and deep harbours. Port Jackson, better known as Sydney Harbour, is one such ria . Sydney features two major soil types: sandy soils (which originate from the Hawkesbury sandstone) and clay (which are from shales and volcanic rocks ), though some soils may be a mixture of the two. Directly overlying
12168-517: The corner of Marion and Edgar Street, in Condell Park , New South Wales , Australia. It was designed by the Allied Works Council and built from 1943 to 1944 by Stuart Bros Pty Ltd of Sydney. It is also known as Air Defence Headquarters Ruin Sydney (former), No. 1 Fighter Section Headquarters, 1FSHQ, Bankstown Bunker and RAAF No. 1 Installation Bankstown; No. 101 Fighter Sector. It was added to
12324-526: The cove where the first British settlement was established Sydney Cove after Home Secretary Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney . The cove was called Warrane by the Aboriginal inhabitants. Phillip considered naming the settlement Albion , but this name was never officially used. By 1790 Phillip and other officials were regularly calling the township Sydney. Sydney was declared a city in 1842. The Gadigal (Cadigal) clan, whose territory stretches along
12480-530: The demolition of buildings erected on Crown land, including some owned by past and serving military officers. The resulting conflict culminated in the Rum Rebellion of 1808, in which Bligh was deposed by the New South Wales Corps . Governor Lachlan Macquarie (1810–1821) played a leading role in the development of Sydney and New South Wales, establishing a bank, a currency and a hospital. He employed
12636-521: The district. Residents with foreign names were sent to internment camps as there was growing suspicion about residents with foreign names. A portion of these folk were Australian citizens who served with the Australian Defence Force during World War I. During World War II, Bankstown Airport was established as a key strategic air base to support the war effort. After the arrival of Douglas MacArthur in Australia, control of Bankstown Airport
12792-471: The east elevation of the basement is indented, giving the basement level the appearance of a capitalised letter "E" when viewed in plan. The Operations Room dominates the centre of the basement. At the eastern end of the Operations Room was the Intercept Officer's dais. The Intercept Officer was responsible for plotting the best course in intercept enemy aircraft. The V.A.O.C and R/D/F Filter Rooms dominate
12948-516: The emigration of free British settlers to New South Wales. Immigration to the colony increased from 900 free settlers in 1826–30 to 29,000 in 1836–40, many of whom settled in Sydney. By the 1840s Sydney exhibited a geographic divide between poor and working-class residents living west of the Tank Stream in areas such as The Rocks , and the more affluent residents living to its east. Free settlers, free-born residents and former convicts now represented
13104-793: The existing transmitting station at Johnston Street, Bass Hill . According to surviving documents radar stations at Robertson, Wentworth Falls and Somersby were to acted as VHF/DF Fixer stations for the ADHQ. Other radar stations known to have passed on information (usually by telephone) to 1FSHQ and therefore probably to the ADHQ, were No. 17 Radar Station located at Moruya , No. 18 Radar Station located at Kiama , No. 19 Radar Station located at Bombi near Gosford and No. 101 Radar Station located on North Head , Sydney. Information would also have been passed on from No. 2 Fighter Sector Headquarters at Lambton and No. 8 Fighter Sector Headquarters at Brisbane . No 2. Fighter Sector Headquarters formed at New Lambton on 25 February 1942. The unit commandeered
13260-418: The extension), 54' along its northern end, 97' and 1 1/4" along its eastern side and 35' and 4 1/2" along its southern side (excluding the extension). Equating to an approximate size of 29.60 x 16.46 x 29.60 x 10.78 metres. The rectangular-shaped extension measures 20' and 7 1/2" by 18' and 7 1/2" (approximately 6.27 x 5.68 metres) As stated above, entrance to the bunker was gained through the eastern facade of
13416-657: The facility and the television show's host, Don Burke , hosted an episode of the show from the bunker. Footage from the television show and photographs taken by other individuals who have gained entry to the building indicate that the facility is structurally intact. Air Board documentation indicates that the Fighter Sector VHF/RT system (Very High Frequency Radio Transmission System) was to comprise: 3 VHF/DF (Direction Finder) fixer stations, 1 VHF/DF homing station, 1 remote (local) transmitting station, 1 remote (local) receiving station and 2 relay stations (each consisting of
13572-939: The fall of Rabaul and Singapore to the Japanese Army in January and February 1942 and the bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942, the Australian government and many Australians became fearful that Japan would invade the Australian mainland. As part of the Federal Government's response to this threat, the RAAF was greatly expanded and the RAAF for the first time was given the role of air defence of Australia's strategic areas. Fighter Sector Headquarters were established in Sydney , New Lambton , Melbourne , Brisbane , Townsville , Darwin, Perth and Port Moresby . In addition, Mobile Fighter Sector Headquarters were formed at Darwin, Perth, Townsville and Camden (NSW). The main responsibilities of
13728-484: The find. In 1972, arsonists set the bunker on fire. In 1976 the NSW Department of Housing acquired the land the bunker is built under and redeveloped the area into the townhouses that now cover most of the site. The area now comprises a number of separate complexes or "Closes" containing eight to eleven villas. Each Close is named appropriately after a type of aeroplane that flew from Bankstown during World War II. With
13884-693: The first crops failed, leading to several years of hunger and strict rationing. The food crisis was relieved with the arrival of the Second Fleet in mid-1790 and the Third Fleet in 1791. Former convicts received small grants of land, and government and private farms spread to the more fertile lands around Parramatta , Windsor and Camden on the Cumberland Plain . By 1804, the colony was self-sufficient in food. A smallpox epidemic in April 1789 killed about half
14040-717: The first municipality to adopt the Library Act of 1939 by opening a Children's Library, located at Restwell Street. The Bankstown Central Library was demolished in 1981 to make way for a different facility which opened in 1983. Bankstown's current library, the Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre was opened in April 2014. The library was designed by FJMT and is located next to the Western Sydney University Bankstown Campus. Truc Lam and Huyen Quang Temple , Vietnamese Buddhist temples, are located in
14196-565: The former administration building once stood, was officially declared Paul Keating Park. Bankstown has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Bankstown has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa ). Like most of Western Sydney, it has warm to hot summers and mild winters. The average summer temperature range is from 17.6 °C (63.7 °F) to 27.8 °C (82.0 °F), although hot north-westerly winds can cause temperatures to rise up to 40 °C (104 °F). On average, Bankstown has 8.8 days per year where
14352-461: The fringes of the Sydney area. The first meeting between Aboriginals and British explorers occurred on 29 April 1770 when Lieutenant James Cook landed at Botany Bay (Kamay ) and encountered the Gweagal clan. Two Gweagal men opposed the landing party and one was shot and wounded. Cook and his crew stayed at Botany Bay for a week, collecting water, timber, fodder and botanical specimens and exploring
14508-700: The goldfields. Melbourne soon overtook Sydney as Australia's largest city, leading to an enduring rivalry between the two. However, increased immigration from overseas and wealth from gold exports increased demand for housing, consumer goods, services and urban amenities. The New South Wales government also stimulated growth by investing heavily in railways, trams, roads, ports, telegraph, schools and urban services. The population of Sydney and its suburbs grew from 95,600 in 1861 to 386,900 in 1891. The city developed many of its characteristic features. The growing population packed into rows of terrace houses in narrow streets. New public buildings of sandstone abounded, including at
14664-505: The inland location, frost is recorded early in the morning in Western Sydney a few times in winter. Autumn and spring are the transitional seasons, with spring showing a larger temperature variation than autumn. Sydney experiences an urban heat island effect. This makes certain parts of the city more vulnerable to extreme heat, including coastal suburbs. In late spring and summer, temperatures over 35 °C (95 °F) are not uncommon, though hot, dry conditions are usually ended by
14820-570: The land on its banks. Hunter examined the country himself, and established one of the pioneer colonies there, called Bank's Town, today written as one word: Bankstown. Hunter named the area Bankstown after Sir Joseph Banks , who travelled to Australia with Captain James Cook in 1770. The area of first European settlement along the river has been partially preserved as part of the Mirambeena Regional Park . In 1826, bushrangers were hanged on
14976-466: The lowest temperature recorded was -4.0 °C (24.8 °F) on 26 July 1968. Bankstown's annual mean rainfall is 869.0mm, slightly less than the Sydney CBD, which is affected more by coastal showers which do not penetrate very far inland. Bankstown's central business district is clustered around Bankstown railway station . The commercial area beside the railway station is known as Bankstown Plaza, while
15132-505: The main body of insurgents were routed by about 100 troops and volunteers at Rouse Hill . At least 39 convicts were killed in the uprising and subsequent executions. As the colony spread to the more fertile lands around the Hawkesbury River , north-west of Sydney, conflict between the settlers and the Darug people intensified, reaching a peak from 1794 to 1810. Bands of Darug people, led by Pemulwuy and later by his son Tedbury , burned crops, killed livestock and raided settler stores in
15288-645: The main gravel road in a westerly direction, near the southern boundary of the site. The fifth building (the Female Latrine) was short distance to the north of the main group. According to the 1942 site plan, the first buildings encountered along the driveway were the Administration Building on the south side of the driveway with the Rest Room and Kitchen Building directly opposite. Each of the buildings comprised two "c series" military huts. The Administration Building (C15 military huts) included office space,
15444-457: The metropolis. Manufacturing, protected by high tariffs, employed over a third of the workforce from 1945 to the 1960s. However, as the long post-war economic boom progressed, retail and other service industries became the main source of new jobs. An estimated one million onlookers, most of the city's population, watched Queen Elizabeth II land in 1954 at Farm Cove where Captain Phillip had raised
15600-518: The most expensive cities in the world, Sydney frequently ranks in the top ten most liveable cities . It is classified as an Alpha+ city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network , indicating its influence in the region and throughout the world. Ranked eleventh in the world for economic opportunity, Sydney has an advanced market economy with strengths in education, finance, manufacturing and tourism . The University of Sydney and
15756-463: The most famous. The Nepean River wraps around the western edge of the city and becomes the Hawkesbury River before reaching Broken Bay . Most of Sydney's water storages can be found on tributaries of the Nepean River. The Parramatta River is mostly industrial and drains a large area of Sydney's western suburbs into Port Jackson. The southern parts of the city are drained by the Georges River and
15912-527: The most populous city in Australia. The government created jobs with massive public projects such as the electrification of the Sydney rail network and building the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Sydney was more severely affected by the Great Depression of the 1930s than regional New South Wales or Melbourne. New building almost came to a standstill, and by 1933 the unemployment rate for male workers
16068-549: The navy. The First Fleet of 11 ships under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip arrived in Botany Bay in January 1788. It comprised more than a thousand settlers, including 736 convicts. The fleet soon moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where a settlement was established at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. The colony of New South Wales was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788. Sydney Cove offered
16224-595: The next most common languages were 20.3% Vietnamese , 19.3% Arabic , 5.1% Urdu , 4.7% Mandarin and 3.7% Bengali . The most common responses for religion were 31.1% Islam , 16.3% Roman Catholicism , 15.5% No Religion , 11.0% Buddhism and 9.3% not stated. The median weekly household income in Bankstown was $ 1,531, and the median weekly family income was $ 2,436. The following people are residents or former residents of Bankstown: 33°55′05″S 151°02′06″E / 33.91806°S 151.03500°E / -33.91806; 151.03500 Sydney Sydney
16380-561: The north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west. Greater Sydney consists of 658 suburbs, spread across 33 local government areas. Residents of the city are colloquially known as "Sydneysiders". The estimated population in June 2023 was 5,450,496, which is about 66% of the state's population. The city's nicknames include the Emerald City and
16536-591: The north side of the corridor was the door to the Signals Room, followed by door openings to the Cypher and Intelligence Room (where messages where encoded and decoded when security was required), the P.B.X Switch (private business telephone exchange), RAAF buffet, WAAAF Latrine, RAAF Male Latrine. At the end of the corridor (in the north-west corner of the bunker) was the Post Master General's (PMG) Frame Room. The PMG
16692-628: The older Hawkesbury sandstone is the Wianamatta shale , a geological feature found in western Sydney that was deposited in connection with a large river delta during the Middle Triassic . The Wianamatta shale generally comprises fine grained sedimentary rocks such as shales, mudstones , ironstones , siltstones and laminites , with less common sandstone units. The Wianamatta Group is made up of Bringelly Shale , Minchinbury Sandstone and Ashfield Shale . The most prevalent plant communities in
16848-569: The one hand, and storms and flooding on the other, associated with the opposite phases of the oscillation in Australia . The weather is moderated by proximity to the ocean, and more extreme temperatures are recorded in the inland western suburbs because Sydney CBD is more affected by the oceanic climate drivers than the western suburbs. At Sydney's primary weather station at Observatory Hill , extreme temperatures have ranged from 45.8 °C (114.4 °F) on 18 January 2013 to 2.1 °C (35.8 °F) on 22 June 1932. An average of 14.9 days
17004-436: The people of this suburb. 36.1% of people living in Bankstown were born in Australia. The next top responses for country of birth were 15.6% Vietnam , 6.0% Lebanon , 4.8% China (excludes Taiwan and SARs ), 3.2% Pakistan and 3.1% Bangladesh . The most common ancestries in Bankstown were 18.7% Vietnamese , 11.9% Lebanese , 10.8% Chinese , 8.6% Australian and 6.2% English . 18.0% of people spoke only English at home;
17160-452: The project was Stuart Bros of Sydney. Bankstown Municipal Council carried out the electrical reticulation of the building and the air conditioning equipment appears to have been supplied and installed by Carrier Air Conditioning Limited of Spring Street, Sydney. The estimated cost to construct the bunker and the above ground, support buildings which included: an Administration Building, Rest Rooms and Kitchen, Male and Female Latrines, and Garage,
17316-458: The public in 1973. These gardens consist of many unusual types of flora found in Bankstown and the surrounding area. The park consist of different areas, native, tropical, rose garden and Perennial. ' Paul Keating Park' was built on the site of Bankstown Council's former administration building, after it was destroyed by fire on 1 July 1997. In 1862, the Church of England School was first opened and
17472-557: The rebranded Metro North West & Bankstown Line . Bankstown is a major bus interchange for a number of bus services. The Sydney Metropolitan Airport , more commonly known as Bankstown Airport , was established in 1940 and is constructed on 313 hectares. It has three runways , an extensive taxiway and includes a large business park containing over 170 businesses. Major parks within Bankstown include Bankstown City Gardens, Bankstown Oval , Griffith Park, McLeod Reserve and Paul Keating Park. 'Bankstown City Gardens' were opened to
17628-604: The region's Indigenous population. In November 1790 Bennelong led a group of survivors of the Sydney clans into the settlement, establishing a continuous presence of Aboriginal Australians in settled Sydney. Phillip had been given no instructions for urban development, but in July 1788 submitted a plan for the new town at Sydney Cove . It included a wide central avenue, a permanent Government House, law courts, hospital and other public buildings, but no provision for warehouses, shops, or other commercial buildings. Phillip promptly ignored his own plan, and unplanned development became
17784-439: The site in a north–south direction. The main entrance to the site was the southern termination of this road. A second entry/exit point was located at the northern end of the gravel road. The largest structure on the site was a two-storey underground bunker from where the air defence of New South Wales was controlled. In addition to the bunker, a 1942 site plan indicates that there were to be five above ground, support structures on
17940-651: The site of the water tower Bankstown Reservoir . The first town hall and Council Chambers were opened on 22 Oct 1898 by Mayor Ines Peter Miller on the northern side of the Hume Highway (Liverpool Road), near Rookwood Road (site of the Three Swallows Hotel). In June 1918, the council chambers were relocated to a new building in South Terrace (subsequently Old Town Centre Plaza and, since sometime before 2022, Bankstown City Plaza). The building still stands and now has
18096-479: The site. The buildings comprised: an Administration Hut, Rest Room and Kitchen Hut, a Female Latrine, a Male Latrine, and a Motor Transport Garage. The support buildings were located close to the southern boundary of this site, just west of the gravel road. Today, the Former Air Defence Headquarters lies under one of the open spaces of a housing estate built on the site in the 1970s. The area over
18252-443: The south and north ends of the building. An exit from the south end of the building from ground floor level, is shown on floor plans of bunker dated March 1943. The floor plan indicates that the ground floor of the bunker is essentially rectangular in shape, with a small rectangular shaped extension attached to the south-west corner of the bunker. The ground floor measures approximately 97' and 1 1/4" along its western side (excluding
18408-551: The south wall of the Army Switch Room (referred to above) provided access to one of two Air Conditioning Rooms, which occupied the northern end of the small rectangular extension, that projects off the south-western corner of the ground floor of the bunker. To the south of the Air Conditioning Rooms was located the power unit for the bunker and an emergency power generator. Access to the "emergency escape" exit located at
18564-464: The south-west. The local government area of the City of Sydney covers about 26 square kilometres from Garden island in the east to Bicentennial Park in the west, and south to the suburbs of Alexandria and Rosebery . Sydney is made up of mostly Triassic rock with some recent igneous dykes and volcanic necks (typically found in the Prospect dolerite intrusion , west of Sydney). The Sydney Basin
18720-529: The south. Sydney spans two geographic regions. The Cumberland Plain lies to the south and west of the Harbour and is relatively flat. The Hornsby Plateau is located to the north and is dissected by steep valleys. The flat areas of the south were the first to be developed; it was not until the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge that the northern reaches became more heavily populated. Seventy surf beaches can be found along its coastline, with Bondi Beach being
18876-477: The southern end of the bunker, appears to have been through an opening in the south wall of the area housing the emergency power generator. According to the floor plan, the basement measures approximately 12 metres (39 ft 3.5 in) along its northern end, 22 metres (72 ft 5.75 in) along its western side, 21 metres (69 ft 1 in) along the length of the eastern elevation and 14 metres (46 ft 5 in) along its southern end. The centre of
19032-492: The southern shore of Port Jackson from South Head to Darling Harbour , are the traditional owners of the land on which the British settlement was initially established, and call their territory Gadi ( Cadi ). Aboriginal clan names within the Sydney region were often formed by adding the suffix "-gal" to a word denoting the name for their territory, a specific place in their territory, a food source, or totem. Greater Sydney covers
19188-704: The suburb in the NBL1 East . Bankstown City Lions FC and Canterbury Bankstown FC represents the suburb in the NSW League One competition. The NSW Government has committed $ 1.3 billion for a new hospital in the Bankstown CBD. The new Bankstown Hospital will be located at the site of TAFE Bankstown Campus and is expected to open by 2030. The Bankstown Central Library has served Bankstown on its present site in The Mall since 1954. Eight years earlier in 1946, Bankstown became
19344-847: The suburb include TAFE NSW Bankstown and the Western Sydney University Bankstown City campus. Bankstown is represented in the National Rugby League by the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs . Bankstown District Cricket Club , which plays its home games at the Bankstown Oval , represents the suburb in the NSW Premier Cricket competition. Bankstown Bruins , which plays its home games at the Bankstown Basketball Stadium , represents
19500-461: The suburb. St Felix de Valois Parish, St Brendan Catholic Church, Bankstown District Uniting Church and St Euphemia Greek Orthodox Church are located in the suburb. In 1991, the Bankstown Synagogue in Sydney was the subject of an arson attack which destroyed the building. The synagogue was established in 1914. The site was redeveloped and serves as a Uniting Church Aged Care facility. In
19656-527: The surrounding area. Cook sought to establish relations with the Aboriginal population without success. Britain had been sending convicts to its American colonies for most of the eighteenth century, and the loss of these colonies in 1783 was the impetus to establish a penal colony at Botany Bay. Proponents of colonisation also pointed to the strategic importance of a new base in the Asia-Pacific region and its potential to provide much-needed timber and flax for
19812-439: The temperature seem colder than it actually is . Rainfall has a moderate to low variability and has historically been fairly uniform throughout the year, although in recent years it has been more summer-dominant and erratic. Precipitation is usually higher in summer through to autumn, and lower in late winter to early spring. In late autumn and winter, east coast lows may bring large amounts of rainfall, especially in
19968-413: The temperature rises above 35 °C (95 °F), as opposed to only 3.0 days for Sydney Observatory Hill. The average winter temperature range is from 5.9 °C (42.6 °F) to 18.0 °C (64.4 °F). On an average of one night a year, the minimum temperature falls below freezing (0 °C). The highest temperature recorded at Bankstown was 46.1 °C (115.0 °F) on 18 January 2013 , and
20124-528: The top and sides of the building has been landscaped concealing the building's existence. The exact location of the main entry and exit passages into the bunker are not known. Images of the interior of the bunker taken in the 1980s and 1990s, indicate that despite the fire that gutted the interior the building is structurally intact. The following description of the Air Defence Headquarters and above ground, support buildings has been taken largely from
20280-502: The traditional lands of 28 known Aboriginal clans. The first people to inhabit the area now known as Sydney were Aboriginal Australians who had migrated from southeast Asia via northern Australia. Flaked pebbles found in Western Sydney's gravel sediments might indicate human occupation from 45,000 to 50,000 years ago, while radiocarbon dating has shown evidence of human activity in the region from around 30,000 years ago. Prior to
20436-498: The two-storey underground bunker was scheduled to begin in January 1943 and surviving documentation indicates that by April the foundations of the structure were well under way. Construction of the Fighter Sector Headquarters was completed by August 1944, with the exception of the installation of the telephone and signals cables, which were to be installed by the Post Master General's Office in November of that year. The main contractor of
20592-519: The unit for liaison duties. The enlisted personnel included: Operators of telephones, teleprinters, radio telegraphy and telephony equipment who received the reports on aircraft movements from: radar stations, members of the Volunteer Air Observers Corps (Australia), ships, No. 2 and No. 8 Fighter Sector Headquarters, and by other means; Between October 1943 and January 1945 the 1FSHQ underwent several name changes. On 18 October 1943 it
20748-471: The vast majority of the population of Sydney, leading to increasing public agitation for responsible government and an end to transportation. Transportation to New South Wales ceased in 1840. In 1804, Irish convicts led around 300 rebels in the Castle Hill Rebellion , an attempt to march on Sydney, commandeer a ship, and sail to freedom. Poorly armed, and with their leader Philip Cunningham captured,
20904-532: The years following the close of WWII the exact location of the Berrimah Operations Room was lost, however, in 1995 a search for the building was initiated and by 1997 intact concrete floors of two adjacent rooms (tentatively identified as those of the Filter Room and Operations Room) had been identified on Berrimah Farm. No. 6 Fighter Sector Headquarters was formed in Perth on 22 April 1942. An Operations Room
21060-401: Was 28 per cent, but over 40 per cent in working class areas such as Alexandria and Redfern. Many families were evicted from their homes and shanty towns grew along coastal Sydney and Botany Bay, the largest being "Happy Valley" at La Perouse . The Depression also exacerbated political divisions. In March 1932, when populist Labor premier Jack Lang attempted to open the Sydney Harbour Bridge he
21216-450: Was A£20,400. The final cost of the project was A£36,255. When completed the building comprised a ground floor and basement, at the heart of which was a two-storey high Operations Room. The Operations Room was dominated by a large plotting table, on which the WAAAF personnel plotted aircraft movements. Other key operational areas of the bunker included: a Gun Operations Room (anti-aircraft guns),
21372-548: Was a building of above ground construction. The bunker appears to have been decommissioned when the ADHQ was disbanded in 1947. A caretaker was then assigned to the take care of the bunker. It wasn't until 1971 that members of No. 2 Stores Depot RAAF in Regents Park invited the then editor of the Bankstown Torch , Phil Engisch into the bunker. Many photos were taken and an article was placed in local newspapers detailing
21528-411: Was also controversial for its cost and disputes between architect Jørn Utzon and government officials. However, soon after it opened in 1973 it became a major tourist attraction and symbol of the city. The progressive reduction in tariff protection from 1974 began the transformation of Sydney from a manufacturing centre to a "world city". From the 1980s, overseas immigration grew rapidly, with Asia ,
21684-499: Was briefly reoccupied by the Navy for naval manoeuvres in the Pacific. Following the conclusion of those manoeuvres the building was once again closed up. The bunker lay largely undisturbed until April 1971 when Phil Engisch, editor of the Bankstown - Canterbury Torch newspaper, accompanied by Alderman Leslie Gillman and others, toured the facility. Following the tour, the location of the ADHQ
21840-403: Was built on the lower slopes of Mount Stuart and became fully operational on 20 December 1944. In 1962 or 1963 the interior of the bunker was destroyed by fire. No. 5 Fighter Sector Headquarters was formed at Darwin on 25 February, six days after the bombing of Darwin by Japanese forces. The unit was responsible for all air operations over northern Australia, from Broome to Cape York. Initially
21996-572: Was built to Belmore in 1895 and then extended to Bankstown in 1909. The line was electrified in 1926. In 1928, the line was extended westwards from Bankstown to join the Main Suburban railway at Lidcombe and the Main South line to Liverpool . The station was semi-closed on 30 September 2024 to allow for the line eastwards to be converted to Sydney Metro standards; the Metro trains will subsequently serve
22152-414: Was commissioned as a public school in 1867. Bankstown's first public school was built where McLeod Reserve is currently situated in 1880. In 1882 49 boys and 36 girls were enrolled, and upkeep expenses totalled 219 pounds, eight shillings and 11 pence. The school's first headmaster was Dugald McLeod who taught at the school since its opening until 1912. The site of the well used by Bankstown Public School
22308-450: Was constructed for this unit. No. 3 Fighter Sector Headquarters was formed at Townsville on 25 February 1942. The unit controlled fighter operations and anti-aircraft defences through North Queensland and New Guinea. The unit operated from a grammar school at North Ward until a semi underground bunker (identified as such because all the cabling was laid underground), was constructed between 1942 and 1943. The new fighter sector headquarters
22464-503: Was formed in the early Triassic period. The sand that was to become the sandstone of today was laid down between 360 and 200 million years ago. The sandstone has shale lenses and fossil riverbeds. The Sydney Basin bioregion includes coastal features of cliffs, beaches, and estuaries. Deep river valleys known as rias were carved during the Triassic period in the Hawkesbury sandstone of
22620-509: Was formed on 3 August 1942. The unit was located on the 3rd level of the Wills Building in Ann Street, Brisbane . The building has since been demolished. The Former Air Defence Headquarters (ADHQ) occupied a nine-acre site, which was enclosed by a 6 foot high (1.83m) barbwire man proofed camouflaged fence. The eastern half of the site was dissected by a gravel road which ran across
22776-586: Was handed to US Forces , becoming home to US 35th Fighter Squadron and the 41st Pursuit Squadron of the United States Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces who occupied the airport from 1942 to 1944. In 1945 operations became the responsibility of the British Fleet Air Arm , known as HMS Nabberley , until 1946, when it was handed back to the RAAF. During this period an RAAF unit known as No. 1 Fighter Sector RAAF took control of
22932-476: Was located on the north side of the driveway and comprised a single "c series" (c.12) military hut. The latrine was divided into two areas with the officer's latrine located in the eastern end and facilities for the other ranks located in the western end of the building. Between the Rest Room and Kitchen Building and the Male Latrine, and to the north of these buildings was the Female Latrine, which also comprised
23088-506: Was made public in an article published in the Torch newspaper. The article, entitled "The Torch uncovers secret RAAF war base" was also simultaneously published in The Daily Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald . In the article Engisch recorded how the tour party wandered through a maze of corridors and intact rooms, likening the experience to "...something one might expect to see in
23244-542: Was moved back to the Capitol Theatre in Bankstown on 7 September 1942. At this time the 1FSHQ comprised 19 officers and 164 other ranks, including 119 members of the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF). The senior RAAF officers were largely drawn from aircrew, with junior RAAF officers being intelligence or administrative officers. Two of the unit officers were WAAAF officers and there were also Army and Navy officers in
23400-664: Was moved to the RAAF Williams base at Point Cook . There does not appear to have been a purpose built headquarters (similar to the Condell Park facility) constructed for this unit. No. 8 Fighter Sector Headquarters was originally operated by the US Eighth Fighter Group, USAAC. When the 8th Fighter Group was reassigned to Townsville the Fighter Sector Headquarters was briefly taken over by the 565th Aircraft Warning Battalion, US Army. The No. 8 Fighter Sector Headquarters RAAF
23556-479: Was renamed Air Defence Headquarters Sydney (ADHQ) on 21 January 1945 and moved into a three-storey semi-underground purpose built operations and plotting facility at Bankstown, known as the Bankstown Bunker . World War II began Bankstown's industrial revolution. Few factories or industry of any consequence were located in Bankstown prior to 1945; this was changed dramatically between 1942 and 1954, especially when
23712-466: Was renamed the No. 101 Fighter Sector and then on 7 March 1944 the name was changed to No. 101 Fighter Control Unit. On 21 January 1945 the unit was renamed Air Defence Headquarters Sydney (ADHQ Sydney) and air defence operations were moved into a purpose built operations room located at Condell Park. By this time many of the RAAF members of the unit had been posted to northern Australia or New Guinea and members of
23868-440: Was responsible for supplying the telegraphy and telephony cabling to the ADHQ. The two-storey high Operations Room formed the centrepiece of the bunker. The floor plan indicates that the Operations Room would have been dominated by a large plotting table on which would have been painted a map with appropriate map references. Plotters, members of the WAAAF, would use the plotting table to plot aircraft movements, passed through from
24024-414: Was set up in the Alma Street Masonic Hall at Mount Lawley . Between January and March 1945 the unit moved into a new underground bunker in Epsom Avenue in Belmont , Perth. The Heritage Council of Western Australia 's data inventory sheet for the Belmont Bunker, describes the bunker as having moderate to high integrity, with a few alterations taking place to convert the former Fighter Sector Headquarters to
24180-451: Was then covered by at least 2' 3" (68.6 cm) of earth fill. The entrance to the bunker appears to have been located approximately midway long the eastern facade of the bunker and was accessed via concrete passage strategically placed behind an earth embankment. An assessment of the fire protection measures required for the 1FSHQ (both temporary HQ and new building) undertaken in December 1943, noted that there were "emergency escapes" at
24336-490: Was upstaged by Francis de Groot of the far-right New Guard , who slashed the ribbon with a sabre. In January 1938, Sydney celebrated the Empire Games and the sesquicentenary of European settlement in Australia. One journalist wrote, "Golden beaches. Sun tanned men and maidens...Red-roofed villas terraced above the blue waters of the harbour...Even Melbourne seems like some grey and stately city of Northern Europe compared with Sydney's sub-tropical splendours." A congress of
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