ECHUCA ORDNANCE
FACTORY
BALL BEARING FACTORY
ECHUCA, VIC
DURING WW2
In August 1942, a submission was made under Finance Authority No. 58 for the provision of funds for the establishment of a Ball Bearing Factory at Echuca and £100,000 was allocated for the purpose, of which £70,000 was for machinery and plant and £30,000 for buildings.
In June 1945, the Ball Bearing Factory was fairly well established working a single shift employing 147 personnel.
In August 1945, the Echuca Ordnance Factory was the only ball bearing factory in Australia. It was at that time manufacturing single row ball bearings for defence needs in the area of mechanised transport.
On 3 August 1945, Agendum No. 305/1945 was submitted to the War Cabinet recommending the establishment of a new section for the production of tapered roller bearings. The proposal was recommended by Norman Makin, the Minister for Munitions. The new section would be under the control of a foreman and about 7 personnel. Six special grinding machines were to be imported from the United States at a cost of £18,500.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES FILES AVAILABLE
| Title War Cabinet Agendum - No 154/1944 - Ball bearing factory, Echuca, Victoria |
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| Series number A2671 |
Control symbol 154/1944 |
Contents date range 13 Apr 1944 - 21 Apr 1944 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Canberra |
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| Title Department of Munitions. Ball Bearing Factory, Echuca, Victoria. |
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| Series number A5954 |
Control symbol 494/16 |
Contents date range 1943 - 1945 |
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| Access status Open |
Location Canberra |
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| Title Welfare in Factories, General Correspondence - Welfare Officers, Government Factories Echuca Ordnance Factory (Ball-Bearing) |
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| Series number B3533 |
Control symbol 1611/1/18 |
Contents date range 1945 - 1945 |
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| Access status Open |
Location Melbourne |
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| Title War Cabinet Agendum - No 305/1945 - Ordnance Factory, Echuca - Establishment of a section for production of tapered roller bearings |
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| Series number A2671 |
Control symbol 305/1945 |
Contents date range 24 Jul 1945 - 21 Aug 1945 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Canberra |
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| Title Subject:- Munitions medical service (Victoria) Echuca Ordinance Factory |
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| Series number A1928 |
Control symbol 1026/12/117 |
Contents date range 1943 - 1943 |
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| Access status Open |
Location Canberra |
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| Title Cabinet general administrative committee, decision GA (D) 22 - Ordnance Factory, Echuca |
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| Series number A5954 |
Control symbol 1483/4 |
Contents date range circa 1937 - circa 1971 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Canberra |
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| Title War Cabinet Agendum - No 154/1944 - Ball bearing factory, Echuca, Victoria |
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| Series number A2670 |
Control symbol 154/1944 |
Contents date range 13 Apr 1944 - 19 Apr 1944 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Canberra |
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| Title Echuca Vic - Compulsory Acquisition 19 January 1944 - Site for Housing Senior Personnel of Ordnance Factory |
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| Series number A6074 |
Control symbol PO6544 |
Contents date range 1944 - 1947 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Canberra |
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| Title Food Services Branch Department of Supply and Development - Echuca Ordnance Factory |
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| Series number B3533 |
Control symbol 1736/7/2 |
Contents date range 1943 - 1951 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Melbourne |
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| Title Echuca - Victoria - Ordnance factory - General file |
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| Series number B6591 |
Control symbol D7436 |
Contents date range 26 Mar 1943 - 18 Nov 1949 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Melbourne |
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| Title Personnel Practice Branch Reports Government Factories - Echuca Ordnance Factory |
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| Series number B3533 |
Control symbol 1611/2/18 |
Contents date range 1945 - 1945 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Melbourne |
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| Title Echuca Vic - Compulsory Acquisition of Land for Commonwealth Purposes 29 September 1943 - Site for Munitions Factory - Settlement With State of Victoria |
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| Series number A6074 |
Control symbol PO5903 |
Contents date range 1943 - 1946 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Canberra |
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| Title Echuca ordnance factory - Heating and ventilation [contains 1 plan] |
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| Series number B6591 |
Control symbol D7348 |
Contents date range 5 Mar 1943 - 29 Aug 1947 |
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| Access status Not yet examined |
Location Melbourne |
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| Title Ordnance Factory Echuca - Applications for employment [2.00 cms] |
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| Series number MP1406/4 |
Control symbol 15/1/869 |
Contents date range 1943 - 1949 |
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| Access status Open |
Location Melbourne |
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| Title Ordnance Factory - Echuca - General file [2.00 cms] |
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| Series number MP959/37 |
Control symbol 245/541/33 |
Contents date range 1943 - 1947 |
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| Access status Open |
Location Melbourne |
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| Title History of ordnance factories at Maryibyrnong, Bendigo, Echuca, Horsham, Hamilton, Stawell |
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| Series number MP438/3 |
Control symbol S/54 |
Contents date range 1922 - 1945 |
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| Access status Open |
Location Melbourne |
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"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
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© Peter Dunn 2015 |
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This page first produced 11 October 2006
This page last updated 16 January 2020
