Safe Naval Oil Storage - Darwin, Northern Territory, Underground Oil Tunnels, built during WW2

SAFE NAVAL OIL STORAGE - DARWIN, NT
UNDERGROUND OIL TUNNELS
BUILT DURING WWII

The Japanese air raids of 19 February 1942, 16 March 1942 and 16 June 1942 destroyed 7 of the 11 above-ground oil storage tanks that were located on Stokes Hill Wharf.

Consequently, in November 1942 a decision was made by the Military for the Allied Works Council to construct eight Safe Naval Oil Storage tunnels in Darwin in the Northern Territory. Five tunnels were eventually built in secret by 400 men of the Civil Constructional Corps (CCC) with work starting in about May 1943. A number of issues were encountered, including flooding, cost increases and engineering problems which meant that only five of the eight proposed tunnels were constructed.

The horseshoe-shaped steel-lined concrete formed tunnels were initially excavated by hand using picks and shovels and hand-held pneumatic tools. The tunnels were then finished off using a Conway Shovel during 1944. At the end of 1943, William Payne, was asked to go to Darwin to operated the Conway Shovel while he was working for the SEC in tunnels at Bogong on the Hydro Electric Scheme. William Payne enrolled in the Civil Constructional Corps at Bogong on 27 July 1942 as Drill Runner. He initially worked with Albion Quarry Co. on the SEC Project at Bogong.

William Payne

Conway Shovel

Each of the storage tunnels have an internal width of 4.5 metres and a height of 5.4 metres. The smaller entrance tunnels are 1.96 metres wide by 2.01 metres high and contain a large oil pipe, tank vents, air handling vents and conduits.

TUNNEL NO.	STORAGE TUNNEL	ENTRANCE TUNNEL	Working Space
Tunnel No. 1	116 metres	51 metres	4 metres
Tunnel No. 5	171 metres	42 metres (2 off)	8 metres
Tunnel No. 6	78 metres	39.6 metres	Pump Chamber 8 metres
Tunnel No. 10	184 metres	30 metres	Pump Chamber 16 metres
Tunnel No. 11	124 metres	10 metres	5 metres

The tunnels were never used as intended during WWII. Tunnel No. 5 and 6 were used by S.G. Kennon for three years in the mid 1950s for the storage of jet fuel (kerosene). Tunnels No. 5 and 6 re-opened in 1992 as today's tourist attraction in Kitchener Drive to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the bombing of Darwin.