Maribyrnong City Council: Residents fear development of historic Victorian ammunition site, Jack’s Magazine Reserve

A Maribyrnong gunpowder storage facility that served the colony of Victoria when it had its own military could be transformed into a wedding venue — but locals aren’t happy.

Jack’s Magazine, a former explosives store opened in 1878 features two magazines, blast mounds, tunnels, a canal, and a bluestone wall perimeter.

A gunpowder storage facility that served the Victorian colony when it had its own military could be transformed into a wedding venue much to the anger of locals.

In the new year, Maribyrnong City Council will consider a planning application that could see couples tie the knot in front of 200 friends and family at Jack’s Magazine Reserve, a heritage-listed complex built in the 1870s.

Nestled on the banks of the Maribyrnong River, the site features two magazines, blast mounds, tunnels, a canal, and a bluestone wall perimeter.

The historic Jack's Magazine site is nestled and somewhat hidden along the Maribyrnong River.

Originally built to safely store gunpowder imported into the colony of Victoria, it later stored other dangerous materials and was the main base of the munition company that supplied the .303s bullets used at Gallipoli and the Somme, according to former Melbourne’s Living Museum of the West director Peter Haffenden.
The 12ha site is used for monthly guided tours and hired out to creative groups, but if successful the applicant would invest $800,000 to transform three of 13 buildings for functions — mainly weddings and receptions — and operate with a liquor license seven days a week, including until 11pm Thursday to Saturday.

Working Heritage has spent $2m since it was appointed to manage the site in 2015. Picture: Peter Casamento

However, not everyone is enamoured with the proposal, with local Pauline Cady saying she walked the area most days with her dogs and feared the development could “lock away” one of the very few community green spaces in the inner-west.

“Handing the magazine over to a private operator would compromise what is a beautiful and peaceful spaced filled with birdlife,” Ms Cady said.

“The whole site acts as an amphitheatre and if you’ve got patrons loaded into buses late at night, it would be really disruptive to the environment, nearby residents and make the parking shortage worse.”

City of Maribyrnong resident Pauline Cady said she used the Jack's Magazine Reserve most days with her dogs and feared private operators would "lock away" the site from the community. Picture: Supplied

“When this application began the residential area was far less dense and we were yet to have the pandemic, in a time where people are already deprived of natural areas I think we need to ensure these spaces are accessible and open.

“This will be a destination wedding venue with most guests not living in the City of Maribyrnong, it is an opportunity for councillors to protect a space for present and future residents.”

Ms Cady started a petition which called on the council to ‘save Jack’s Magazine for the people’.

The proposed plan would see patrons transported via electric minibuses to public parking at Pipemaker’s Park.

The applicant would spend $800,000 revamping the interior of Jack's Magazine.

Working Heritage was appointed by the state government in 2015 to manage Jack’s Magazine and has spent about $2m in an effort to revitalise the property to become an economic and community space.

Executive officer Ross Turnbull said the applicant’s proposal was part of a long-term plan to help preserve the site and make it accessible to more people in the future.

“There would be strong management systems in place which are sensitive to nearby residents, the applicant has secured a permit from Heritage Victoria to fit out the inside of the buildings and it would mean a lot more people get to experience this special place,” Mr Turnbull said.

“We want to see this precinct build up an identity and be a location where visitors can go on daily or self-guided tours, and be able to grab lunch, watch an exhibition or purchase ceramics.

“Preservation of this site is extremely important, we want to have more applications for the other buildings — which could be advertised for lease in the near future — to help attracts other users and visitors.”

Maribyrnong council chief executive Celia Haddock said the planning application would be considered early next year.

“The Jack’s Magazine application was advertised on Council’s website and on a noticeboard on site inviting the community to make a submission in support or opposition, this was open in August,” Ms Haddock said.

There were 72 objections and five letters of support received.