New Zealand’s Ammunition Supply.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1831, 10 April 1907, Page 7 (Supplement)

New Zealand’s Ammunition Supply.

QJ 5k 05 05 <=#3 The manufactory was started in Auckland in 1885 by Major John Whitney, in response to overtures from the Hon. John Ballance (the Premier of New Zealand) and General Sir George Whitmore (Commandant of the New Zealand forces). In 1887-8 Major Whitney turned his business into a limited liability company, under the name of the Colonial Ammunition Company, Ltd., and soon after he established the manufacture of small arms ammunition in Australia. The company’s New Zealand works, at Auckland employ a maximum of 135 engineers, m echanics? and workpeople, and are capable of manufacturing three times the quantity of .303 ammunition annually used by the defence forces of the colony. Besides military ammunition the Company, at their New Zealand Works, manufacture 20 different kinds of shot gun cartridges. The Colonial Ammunition Company’s Federal Works at Melbourne employ over 400 engineers, mechanics, and workpeople, and manu - facture at Melbourne and supply all military small arms ammunition required by the Commonwealth for the Federal Defence Forces. OS fe>