Category: Sydney

Newington Armory

Newington Armory was originally a storage facility for the Australian Army and Navy’s explosives and weaponry. Now disused, many of the buildings have been re-purposed and the whole site is part of a museum and national park.

If you are travelling with children, there is a huge playground, just before you reach the entrance to the Armory. This looks like a great place to let them work off some excess energy either before or after your visit.

Wharf Area

The wharf area is now quiet, but this was where explosives were shipped from. Some old cranes and buildings are still present, giving a great backdrop to the area. The old wharf office is now a small cafe, which is where we started our day, sitting on the wharf having a coffee in the morning sunlight was very peaceful.

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Armory Buildings

The armory site itself is extensive and it is free to walk around examining the old buildings and going into those that are open. Many of the buildings are locked up, but you can walk around the outside and examine them and take the photos.

It’s interesting to see the precautions that were set up to protect each building in case of an explosion. Surrounded by concrete walls or large earthworks to contain any mishaps, many buildings are partially hidden.

Buildings near the entrance are in use so you can go inside. Make sure you go around the back and between them to see the explosion protection.

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Armory Train

The train tracks that were set up to move items around of the armory are still in place and on Sunday a train runs so people can travel and have a look around the site while enjoying a ride.

There is a bird sanctuary discovery area in the centre of the park, where you can learn about the bird life in the area. If the birds interest you, there is a great bird watching area not far away in the wetlands.

Nearby are the train loading stations which are still in place and make a good photo opportunity. You can also walk over the old explosives’ magazines with their earth coverings but can’t go inside.

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A throw disc golf course has been set up which visitors can use. Rules are provided and although we didn’t play it looked like fun. Something families would enjoy.

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From the Newington Armory, we walked to the Homebush shipwrecks before catching the ferry from Sydney Olympic Park Wharf to Circular Quay.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.