Woolwich Dock
Woolwich Dock
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Woolwich Dock

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Woolwich Dock

Woolwich Dock is a former dry dock and shipyard in Woolwich, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The site was purchased by Morts Dock and Engineering Company in 1898. When it was officially opened on 4 December 1901 it was the biggest dry dock in Australia, at 188 metres (617 ft) long and 27 metres (89 ft) wide.

Several extensions were carried out between 1902 and 1918, and the dock was lengthened to 260 metres. To achieve this William Street was acquired and a new road constructed – Franki Avenue, named after the general manager and later managing director of the company, James Peter Franki.

By 1917 the company employed over 1,500 people.

In the 1940s the Atlas workshops were replaced by the sawtooth roofed building which still stands on the site and several brick buildings were added. The busiest times for Woolwich Dock were during the two world wars when many passenger vessels were converted to armed troopships and repairs were carried out on damaged ships.

After the Second World War work declined and the dock was closed down in 1958 and until 1963 the dock was vacant.

1963–1997: Army Occupation

The Australian Army purchased it in 1963 for its water transport operations. The three oldest buildings on the site were demolished and the Army erected a number of metal prefabricated buildings, added timber fender piers and timber wharves to the dock itself and constructed a traveling boat crane beside the dock.

They made use of the dock for launching craft and the workshops for repairs and maintenance.

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