Probably the first attempt at scientific inquiry into munitions operation problems occurred under Hake's guidance when, with Dr Thomas Lyle, Professor of Natural Philosophy at Melbourne University, they carried out experiments to prove his theory that the bursting of 0.303 inch magazine rifles was not caused by defective composition of ammunition from the Colonial Ammunition Company. Their examination showed that 'double bulleting' was possible with automatic machines and that closer quality control could eliminate the problem.

Another of Hake's recommendations concerning the setting up of explosives manufacture in Australia and accepted by the Commonwealth Government was the need to create an independent authority for the inspection and maintenance of the quality of explosive materials. He was appointed Inspector of Explosives in 1907 and continued to act as Chemical Adviser to the Government. Marcus Bell was appointed as his assistant and succeeded him in the position when Hake retired in 1911. As considerable stocks of explosives were held throughout Australia -mostly for military purposes -Hake set up a testing laboratory at Victoria Barracks to check the state of preservation of these stocks, some of which had been held for over ten years. He reported that only ten per cent had deteriorated beyond acceptable limits and would have to be destroyed. These were held mostly in Queensland.

1 Original Defence Science Laboratory at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne.

The manufacture of explosives and propellants was begun at the Cordite Factory in 1912. Mr A. E. Leighton was appointed Manager; he was a Waltham Abbey man who had been responsible for raising the Aruvan Kadu factory in India to a high standard of efficiency. He was to play a visible role in the eventual establishment of a munitions industry in Australia on a firm footing.

The next step in munitions manufacture was the production of rifles. Commander W. Clarkson was sent to England in 1908 to look into their manufacture and a Small Arms Factory was opened at Lithgow, New South Wales in 1912, in close proximity to coal supplies for power and to an iron works. The repetition manufacturing technique of Pratt and Whitney in the United States of America was chosen in preference to the processes employed in the United Kingdom and a 50 per cent improvement in the man-hour rate over that achieved in the latter country for manufacture of the same rifle resulted from this advanced technology.

Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering