Subterranean Adelaide Part 4 Escape Tunnels

Subterranean Adelaide Part 4

Escape Tunnels

In the least three chapters of this series we have explored tunnels, basements and a train underpass that we know through public record definitely existed or exist, but there has always been plenty of rumour about other man-made tunnels stretching underneath Adelaide.

There has long been rumour of a series of tunnels designed and constructed by Sir Colonel William Light, the architect of Adelaide. It is estimated these tunnels began to be dug as early as 1936, but their entrances were closed off to hide them from the public. The entrances were supposed to be set in Victoria Square, Light Square, Hindmarsh Square, Hurtle Square and Whitmore Square, as well as under the cities major banks.

These tunnels were reportedly constructed as a means to escape the city if their was ever an military invasion. When one considers that Adelaide's beautiful parkland’s that surround the city were in actual fact a military design in themselves, being a little longer than the average length a rifle could shoot a bullet in the 1840's, then there is, perhaps, some possibility of escape tunnels being present, where exactly they would go to would be anyone’s guess.

There has also long been a rumour, now confirmed of an old service tunnel under the Advertiser building which was most likely used to allow entry to various basement level storage and printing areas.

There is also a long held belief amongst the Adelaide Urbex explorers that there is an entry tunnel in in the east end park lands, near the small lake, one underneath Old parliament House which allowed politicians to travel to the train station unseen, and another under the Keswick Army Barracks, that goes to places unknown.

Do any or all these tunnels exist, that I cannot answer, but possibly someone out there reading this may have experienced some of them for themselves, if you do have a subterranean story of Adelaide, concerning man-made tunnels (and not the various storm water drains, aqueducts and water outlets) please feel free to tell us your story, or post photos below, here, or on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheHauntsofAdelaide

Subterranean Adelaide Part Three - The Treasury Building Tunnels

Subterranean Adelaide Part Three

The Treasury Building Tunnels

 The Treasury Building of Adelaide was first constructed in 1839, and small parts of the original building can still be seen in the edifice that stands today, although remodelling over the years has hidden much of it.

Over following decades, and especially from 1858 to 1876, construction took the building to new heights, and new lows, with long rumoured tunnels, which are now no longer a secret.

For more than 150 years the Old Treasury building provided offices and administration buildings for multiple Government agencies including The Governor, The Register General and the Land Office and the Colonial Secretary.

The building also features the treasury vaults, which during the gold rush in Victoria in 1852/1853, was where gold from interstate deposits was stored safely. Nearly 13 tonnes of gold was sheltered in the tunnels in 1853.

The tunnels underneath the building were actually a mishmash of various basements built during the buildings various remodelling and rebuilding periods over 150 years. The tunnels were interconnected with walkway tunnels to make it easier to move gold and important documents around between departments with more ease.

It has been a long-held belief within the Adelaide urbex explorer community that there were furnaces installed in the basement area to smelt gold, but this is, in fact, a myth. The two furnaces that are installed in the basement are not large enough to provide the required heat to smelt gold. It is thought they were installed to help with lithographic processing for the production of maps for the above survey office.

There is evidence that smelters were installed on a ground floor level to produce smelted gold, but these have long since been removed from the site.

The “newest” tunnel was built in around 1907 to join the eastern basement built in 1867 with the new northern printing rooms built under the north wing.

Presently the tunnels are used during various festivals to display artworks or for other social events. They can be accessed via tours held by the National Trust.

© 2015 Allen Tiller

War Tunnels

War Tunnels

A new train and train line, with a newly completed viaduct and tunnels in Belair, was quite an achievement. Although, South Australian's did not expect to see men standing around in the fields near Blackwood, wondering why their new shiny train could not make it up the steep incline, and so it was in 1883 when 200 of Adelaide's most proper gentleman were invited on the first trip of Adelaide’s new train line into the Adelaide Hills (As reported in the Observer March 17th 1883).


With the outbreak of World War One, the Sleeps Hill tunnels and railway line became very important to our wartime communications, and to transport between States. Armed military guards were posted at either end of the tunnels to stop any espionage attempts.
When the war ended in 1919, a new line was installed, and the railway lines were removed from the old tunnels (the last train ran through there on August 11th, 1919). Instead, the tunnels now served as a picnic and exploration area for many local people.


In 1932, an enterprising young man came up with the idea of using the tunnels to grow mushrooms. He removed the gravel floor and brought in tons of fresh dirt. He planted his first crop, looking to a bright future of all-year-round fresh mushrooms for South Australia.
However, it wasn’t to be, as unforeseen causes saw his business take many blows. Firstly, an endless supply of unwanted brown snakes found their way into the warm, dank tunnels. Then mould and fungus disease obliterated his crop...and to top it all off, vandals broke in a destroyed what little he had left.
His mushroom dream finally ended after an outbreak of the fungus “Chatomium” spread through his crop, a disease brought to South Australia from infected mushrooms from Herefordshire, England.

In 1938, the old tunnels now stood empty once again. In 1942, the Japanese bombed Darwin, and an outbreak of invasion hysteria captured the South Australian government. They decided the old Sleeps Hill tunnels would be the perfect place to hide the State's many artistic treasures and important documents.
Plans were made, and the shorter of the two tunnels was overhauled with ventilation shafts, electric lighting, and thick brick walls at either end with heavy iron doors.
A Jarrah platform running 700ft and 18 inches high was installed running the full length of the tunnel. Next, the tunnel was divided in half down its width and divided into sections. A small hand cart was then used to place the State's treasures into their new homes.
Armed troops stood guard as endless trucks of treasures arrived to be unloaded and hidden from the Japanese threat. War records on microfilm, Government x-rays, taxation documents, and other Government papers were stored inside the tunnels, alongside some of our most valuable art collections.

The Government spent a lot of money on this new storage facility, which housed not only our state treasures and documents but also a travelling painting of King George VI, which happened to be in Australia at the time. Elaborate fire safeguards were installed, and the facility was constantly monitored by the military for dampness, mould and pests.
The other tunnel played a lesser role and became storage for an arsenal of weapons and ammunition; it too was heavily guarded by our military.
The war ended, but this did not stop the military from using the 1st tunnel for the following few years.

There has long been rumour and innuendo that some of our treasures never made it back out of tunnel 1, but I am assured by a source I spoke to recently that everything was accounted for and returned to its proper place after the threat of war diminished.


Bibliography: 

1883 'OPENING OF THE LINE.', The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1858 - 1889), 17 March, p. 2.  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33758328

Belair Train Tunnel

  Belair Train Tunnel

A horrific accident occurred on February 8, 1928, during the building of new train tunnels that were to extend the Belair train line through the Adelaide Hills.

  Six men lost their lives, and three men were injured when a landslide hit the tunnel as men were working on it.

The men killed:

Mr Charles Wilkinson

Mr William Kilmartin

Mr Robert Cafferty

Mr Paul Patt

Mr Charles Smith

 Mr Garrett Costello

The men injured in the incident also included two rescue workers. The injured workers were; Mr John Whittenbury, Mr Arthur Newcombe, Mr Ambrose Gledhill, and rescue workers, Mr Gallaghan and Mr J McCarthy.

  If the incident had occurred any later in the day,  the tragedy could have been much worse. The heavily-laden express train to Melbourne was due to pass through the cutting, but was rerouted as news of the accident hit Adelaide Railway control. Any later and the train would have crashed into the through the worksite, unable to stop!

  There is every possibility that one, or all, of these men, now haunt the currently used train tunnel, which has become the home of urban explorers and graffiti artists. As with all ghost stories, there is probably an element of urban legend that has grown around the area, and that plays a heavy part in the traditions of hauntings in the tunnels. 

© 2014 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

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