Three 80-year-old bombs discovered by rangers in the Bilwon State Forest might’ve been rusted on the outside, but their insides remained as deadly as the day they were manufactured.
Ranger Ben Finnerty from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) said rangers were patrolling the State forest on the Tablelands and found three 25-pound unexploded ordnance (UXO) on 23 October.
“Last year we had a series of firebreaks constructed through the Bilwon State Forest to assist with our fire management program,” Mr Finnerty said.
“The new firebreaks gave rangers better access to different parts of the State Forest, and during a routine patrol we discovered several unexploded ordnance in a remote part of the forest.
“Rangers immediately contacted the Queensland Police Service, then the Australian Defence Force for advice.
“Two members of the defence force travelled from Townsville and met rangers on site to make the UXO safe to the public, and it went up with a bang.
“It shows even though these objects have been sitting on the ground for around 80 years they are still highly dangerous and ready to explode.
“According to the defence force members, old UXOs become more unpredictable and prone to explosions if they are moved or tampered with.
“This is the first UXO rangers have found in the region since 2014 and 2016, and we will continue to search the forest for UXOs on our patrols.
“Remember, if it looks like a bomb, it probably is. Anyone who finds a suspected UXO in the region is urged to leave it alone and immediately contact police.”
Mr Finnerty said the UXOs most likely relate back to the rich history Mareeba and the Tablelands had during World War Two.
“The Mareeba Airfield was built in 1942 with two runways and served as a base for the Australian and United States air forces,” he said.
“After the war, the southern runway remained active, and the northern section of the airfield was used for agriculture.
“We believe the UXOs were either used for war-time drills or accidentally discarded in the bushland.”
