The Naval Stores are some of Brisbane's earliest buildings left standing in the city today. They are located at 34 Amesbury Street, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, beneath the cliffs, on the southern side of the Brisbane River, opposite the central business district.

	The Naval Stores in 2004. Naval Store 2 can be seen on the left. The position of Naval Store 1, which burnt down in 1987, is marked by the two green buoys on the right.

The Historical Background

The Naval Stores were built in 1887, on the site of a disused quarry, after increasing world tensions began to threaten the safety of Australia's shores. The site was chosen for its defensive position. Two almost identical Stores were built, side by side, named Naval Stores 1 and 2. These buildings were used for weapons maintenance and storage, and for the training of the naval brigade, from 1887-1959. Between 1959 and 1983 the Stores were used by the Army Water Transport Association. In 1984 the Naval Stores were listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, and two years later the property was purchased by the Brisbane City Council (Allom Lovell 1999:6-15). Naval Stores 1 burnt down in 1987, and only the concrete foundations are left today.

The Stores Today

The present-day site of the Naval Stores consists of a number of extant buildings from the original construction in the 1800s. Naval Stores 2 still stands in its original position, with the external fabric of the building restored to near-original condition. The inside of the building underwent adaptation in 2001 to become the Historical Discovery Centre. This work included the construction of a new stairwell to the southern end of the building and an amenities block in the area between the two Stores. The surrounding area of the site has the original paint locker and duty hut, a new wharf, and remnants of the old wharf. A steel turntable, formerly used to move guns from the battery within Store 1 onto the wharf, is still located between the two Stores (Allom Lovell 1999:40).

The Excavations

During 2003 the University of Queensland Archaeological Services Unit (UQASU) was contracted by the Brisbane City Council to undertake an assessment of the likelihood of subsurface remains existing in the area surrounding the Naval Stores. As part of this assessment a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey was undertaken. GPR is a non-invasive survey technique which operates by sending radar pulses into the ground from an antenna, which are reflected back to the surface when they come into contact with subsurface targets or interfaces within the ground. When the pulses are reflected back the speed of their return is measured, and the information is sent to a computer, which changes the signal into picture form. The GPR survey revealed a number of subsurface anomalies which indicated the probable presence of archaeological material under the ground.

	The Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey in progress.

	Radar image showing subsurface anomalies.

	Radar image showing subsurface anomalies. The light green patch in the centre of the image is the area targeted for exploratory excavations.

In early 2004 UQASU and Brisbane City Council organised for an exploratory excavation to be undertaken over one of the anomalies identified by the GPR survey. This excavation will be undertaken over the five days of National Archaeology Week 2004. A daily web diary of the excavations will be posted at the end of each day on this website. Click on the buttons on the left menu (Day 1-5) for a summary.

Further Reading

Allom Lovell 1999 The Former Naval Stores Kangaroo Point: A Conservation Study. Unpublished report to Brisbane City Council.

Brisbane City Council n.d. The Naval Stores Historical Discovery Centre: Education Kit: Upper Primary and Lower Secondary Schools. Brisbane: Brisbane City Council.

Gregory, H. 1996 The Brisbane River Story. Brisbane: Australian Marine Conservation Society.

Queensland Women's Historical Association 1997 From Kangaroo to Cargo Ships: A Short History of Peninsula Kangaroo Point, 1923 to 1996. Brisbane: Queensland Women's Historical Association.