Copper thieves hit 175-year-old gunpowder storage site

Copper thieves have targeted a 175-year-old building in Hobart, causing "irreplaceable damage" to heritage features.In a post to social media, the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) said thieves had damaged the Queen Victoria Gunpowder Magazine, once used to store gunpowder and explosives.The thieves were accused of stealing important historic features including copper gutters, downpipes, a lightning rod and other fittings from the Queen's Domain building.The Queen Victoria Powder Magazine has been lauded as "one of Hobart's most significant heritage sites". (Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service)The ABC understands the damage was observed about two weeks ago, with the thieves allegedly cutting through a barbed wire fence surrounding the site to enter.The historic site is operated by the PWS and had been leased to the Militaria Collectors of Tasmania, with urgent work required to prevent further historical damage.Tasmania Police said it was investigating and that copper theft in the state had increased in recent years.A copper lightning conductor rod on the building is one of the features taken by thieves. (Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service)Building could store 1,600 gunpowder barrelsBuilt in 1851, the site was Hobart's main storage area for gunpowder and was used to house explosives up until 1970.The original Magazine was first built as a solid sandstone building, with capacity for about 1,600 barrels of gunpowder.Copper, bronze and brass had been used throughout the building, predominantly to resist sparks and protect from potential lightning strikes.On social media, the PWS said the stolen copper fittings were an important part of the design and the site's character."We're working with local scrap metal dealers in the hope the stolen items can be recovered and returned to the site," the post said."The theft has not only damaged the buildings and affected roof drainage, it has also stripped away irreplaceable heritage features."The thieves allegely stole copper features, including this downpiping, about two weeks ago. (Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service)Copper theft on the rise, police sayIn a statement, Tasmania Police said it had seen an increase in reports of copper theft in the state, across a range of construction sites, utilities infrastructure and heritage-listed buildings."In addition to the value of the stolen copper, offenders are causing significant and costly damage to buildings and infrastructure, particularly heritage-listed properties where repairs can be complex, time-consuming and expensive," a spokesperson said."Offenders are also putting themselves at risk in the event the copper is live when cut."The stolen copper door sheathing has a "greenish patina, about 0.5mm-1mm thick, torn edges and possible nail holes", Parks says. (Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service)Authorities said they were working closely with industry partners to identify offenders."As part of these efforts, police are conducting compliance and intelligence-led checks of second-hand dealers, scrap metal recyclers and other businesses involved in the purchase and sale of metal products," they said.The PWS has been contacted for comment.