Updated ,first published
Children and dog walkers were cleared from a popular park in Melbourne’s inner north after police were called to deal with a stash of dynamite found in a nearby property on Sunday afternoon.
Footage obtained by The Age shows the explosives being detonated near trees at Merri Park, behind Northcote High School, as part of a controlled operation just before 1pm.
A bomb response robot can be seen near the site, as the explosion sends hay and dirt flying. SES volunteers had been called earlier in the day to provide assistance with sand bags.
A second detonation followed just before 3pm, before residents also heard another louder explosion about 4.15pm. Police confirmed on Sunday evening that the operation had concluded.
The explosives were allegedly located in the shed of a deceased estate in Northcote, where they had been in storage for several decades.
Police confirmed they had gone to a St Georges Road address.
“Police responded to reports of dynamite located in the shed of a deceased estate in the vicinity of St Georges Road,” police said in a statement on Sunday. “There was no threat to the community nor criminality.
“It is estimated the items had been in storage for many decades.
“[The bomb response unit] attended the scene as per standard procedure, relocated the items to open parkland and performed detonation in a safe and controlled environment.
“Victoria Police thanks the community for observing and adhering to road closures in the area throughout the day.”
With Roy Ward
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Marta Pascual Juanola is an investigative journalist at The Age. Before that, she was a crime and justice reporter. You can contact her securely via m.pascualjuanola@proton.me or Signal on +61 468 688 436.Connect via X or email.