Vestey's Meatworks

Never profitable, it operated for three years before the company abandoned the venture in the aftermath of the Darwin rebellion.

Most of the facility was demolished in 1957, but two large water tanks remain standing today, on what is now the site of the Darwin High School on Bullocky Point in the suburb of The Gardens.

The tank displays considerable technical innovation and achievement, with the sand and gravel being crushed from rock on site.

It is amongst the earliest substantial uses of reinforced concrete in the Northern Territory; it is one of the largest above ground concrete tanks built before the end of World War I, and is of a distinctive rectangular shape A section of the workforce was also involved at this time in making bricks for the mess and canteen.

The brickworks had been established in the 1870s by David Daniels to provide bricks for the Government Stamp Batteries on the gold fields.

The 1918 season processed 29,000 cattle, 500 beasts could be killed and chilled, 500 carcases frozen and 200 canned a day, the majority from Vestey's properties.

On 8 July 1923, a fire destroyed the three storey men's accommodation block and a couple of adjoining buildings.

In 1942, with the Japanese air force on the verge of reaching Australia, military authorities feared the tank would give invaders a reliable water supply and allow them to get further inland.

He was also given two cyanide tablets to take in case of capture, and it is understood that when the bombing of Darwin began on 19 February 1942, he was actually at the tanks with his charges set and ready to go.

The new-look tank was a gymnasium for the school, but because it was now the biggest indoor venue in Darwin, it quickly became popular for all kinds of social occasions such as gala balls.