Talgarno Military Base (Former)

Statement of Significance

• The place has historic value for its association with the Rocket testing undertaken by the British Government in Woomera, South Australia in the post war period.
• The remnant elements on the site have historic value as demonstrations of the type of facilities built during the post war period for service personnel and their families.
• The place has research value as there is potential for archaeological deposits to be found on the site revealing information about the lifestyle and work practices of the occupants of the base.
• The place has social value for the members of the community who visited it during the 1950's and 1960's as the facilities and services offered there were comparatively rare in the region and made it a well-known destination for visitors.

Physical Description

The site has not been accessed for this assessment. It is not clear what remains of the former military base.

History

Talgarno was a military airbase on Anna Plains Station used in the post-Second World War period for the monitoring and recovery of British Blue Streak rockets, test-fired from Woomera in South Australia. The origin of the name is not known although there is a rural locality in Victoria named Talgarno after the Talgarno Pastoral Station established in 1836. The name is believed to have been derived from an Aboriginal expression describing ‘dry country’.
The military base was established in 1958-1959 and was a well-equipped facility providing single and married quarters, and a range of services including a swimming pool, cinema and hospital. The airstrip on the site was well built and enabled large aircraft to land at the site.
By September 1964, Talgarno was decommissioned and dismantled. Materials from the buildings were reused in the district. It is understood that the Mangrove Hotel built in 1972-1975 used steel from the Talgarno base.
In 1999 the Department of Defence test-fired a missile from a site on Anna Plains in connection with the development of the Jindalee over-the-horizon radar project.

Condition

Poor - ruins

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.