Newington Armory is a heritage-listed former Royal Australian Navy armament depot, now used for tourism purposes, at Holker Street, Sydney Olympic Park, Cumberland Council, New South Wales, Australia.

Past reports have referenced the existence of physical evidence of Aboriginal occupation on the subject site as isolated artefact scatters and scarred trees.

He had aspirations to profit from the colony but was constantly at odds with its administration, in particular Governor Bligh, over what was owed to him and the type of agricultural and mercantile enterprise he chose to undertake.

[1] Blaxland chose to concentrate on the cattle industry: breeding, slaughtering, salting down, and selling meat and dairy produce and did not undertake crop cultivation which was the farming activity preferred by Bligh.

The Sydney Morning Herald in October 1875 reported the recommendations of a board appointed by the Government of the Colony of New South Wales into the removal of the Goat Island magazine.

"[16] According to one account: "The Corps comprised No 1 Gun Wharf Section with a Deputy Assistant Commissary General of Ordnance, a Lieutenant and Quartermaster, three Conductors of Stores and one Sergeant Artificer.

The Military Magazine, as it was known at the time, remained in support of the Army until 1921, when it was transferred to the Department of Navy, to supplement the explosives storage available at the RAN Ordnance Depot at Spectacle Island.

[19][1] In the Second World War the RAN took on a major role in defence as thousands of Allied ships arrived in Sydney, affecting docking facilities and particularly armament supply and storage.

During World War II, the depot expanded greatly by acquisition of private property (including the Carnarvon Golf Course) and the New South Wales State Brickyards under emergency powers.

The pipeline is the movement of ammunition from storage facilities, such as the RAN Armament Depot at Kingswood via road to Newington, where it was transported by water to Garden Island.

During this time, several animals were present at the Armory including a flock of sheep to graze on the plentiful grass, and horses that pulled the carriages filled with armaments.

In 1987, operational difficulties resulting from the adoption of new NATO Safety Principles for the Storage of Explosives focused navy and government attention on relocation of the depot to a new site outside Sydney.

The RAN started to vacate the site in 1996, with ownership transferred to the Government of New South Wales to be developed as the Sydney 2000 Olympics Athlete's Village and the suburb of Newington.

The rail track was extended to form a loop encircling the forest, enabling the train to operate as a visitor tour and interpretive attraction.

Stage 1 of $7m works opened, comprising creation of landscaped picnic terraces, development of a riverfront promenade, cafe and parking areas.

[1] Evidence of Indigenous occupation in the form of isolated artefact scatters has been referred to in early documentation of this site however more recent information has placed this in question.

[1] 1) The "Original Establishment Precinct" is in the north west corner of the site facing Parramatta River and contains the earliest military buildings and evidence of its occupation as an Armament Depot from 1897.

It contains the wharf with two cranes, reclaimed land and part of the light rail system as well as Federation face brick buildings which were purpose built to store and distribute armaments.

The typical armament store building of the former RANAD site is electrically earthed with massive copper straps, constructed of materials with good antistatic properties; provided with facilities for discharging static electricity from people entering the store; fitted with lightning conductors; and contained within a high earth embankment, which will direct any accidental blast upwards.

It has a high density of hollow-bearing trees (uncommon in other similar remnants of this community), which provide nesting sites for birds and potential microbat roosts.

Today the site is being opened up for managed public multi use for recreational, cultural, arts, scientific, research and educational activities, short term accommodation, events and programs as well as conservation and nature reserve.

Substantial stabilisation and restoration works were undertaken to buildings, railway track and locomotives in 2001 with the result that built assets are generally in good condition.

Parts of the wetland contains extensive breeding habitat for the pest mosquito Aedes vigilax, necessitating periodic treatment with a bacterial larvicide.

Newington Armament Depot and Nature Reserve is historically significant as it contains physical evidence demonstrating the history of European occupation through to the end of the 20th century.

[1] Newington Armament Depot and Nature Reserve is potentially of State significance as an extensive cultural landscape containing features from all periods of its human occupation as well as regionally rare forest and wetlands.

In addition, it supports the only remaining example of a complete zonal succession from eucalypt forest, saltmarsh, mangroves and tidal mudflats on the Parramatta River estuary.

[1] Newington Armament Depot and Nature Reserve was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 14 January 2011 having satisfied the following criteria.

Its historical importance as an Armament Depot lies in its demonstration of the evolution of systems and regulations of explosives handling and storage over 90 years and the role of Sydney as a major port for the Australian Navy fleet.

Newington Armament Depot's unusual mixture of historic buildings, some of which are partially submerged within earth mounds, with its open parkland setting bordered by the forest and wetland together with its relationship to the Parramatta River make a remarkable landscape.

The complex features an outstanding collection of turn of the century brick structures which display the application of Federation design to purpose built industrial buildings.