In spite of the much larger plants in Germany and the UK and the flow of research results from their and Nobel's Paris research laboratories, the valiant little Deer Park company survived for some decades. Its problems increased, however, when yet another major Nobel invention, the military explosive 'ballistite' (invented 1887) and its British analogue 'cordite' emerged. Both were patent protected and likely to be beyond the resources of the company; in addition 'cordite' was being developed by the British War Office, and Australian defence forces, then closely linked to the UK, were likely to follow the British pattern, as indeed they did later on the recommendation of the Chief Inspector of Explosives, Napier Hake.

Nobel, on the other hand, had consistently pursued a policy of decentralising manufacture in partnership with local interests in the major markets, as a symbiosis of local and his corporate interests. Australia had become a major market and his early patents were beginning to run out. The time to take an interest in local manufacture had come. Nobel's U.K. progressively increased their shareholding in Australian Explosives and Chemicals Company (the company had abandoned its German name Krebs in 1888) and in 1898 acquired the enterprise as a basis for future expansion. From 1890 the plant produced blasting gelignite; in 1925 it changed its name to Nobel (Australasia) Ltd. and in 1928 the company was incorporated in ICIANZ (now ICI Australia) Ltd. as one of the foundation stones of Australia's largest chemical company.{36}

Deer Park progressively expanded; its by-product acid was used in a small fertiliser factory. Its explosives production was modernised and built-up to become the centre of explosives supply for the Australian mining industry for over five decades. In 1956 the most sensitive manufacturing step, the nitration of glycerol, was fully automated in a 2000 kg/hr Biazzi plant, the largest plant in the world -a far cry from the early 'days of Ardeer and Deer Park, when the operator had to sit on a one-legged stool ito ensure that he did not dose off during this critical step (Figs. 6 and 7).

6 Watching the thermometer during the critical stage of nitration of glycerine in the early days. The one-legged stool prevented the operator from becoming drowsy.

7 Biazzi fully automated nitration plant (nitroglycerine), 1956, the world's largest Biazzi plant.

Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering