Frank's explosive discovery

IT had the potential to blow up his house.

Yeppoon's Frank Blank yesterday spoke of the discovery of 28 sticks of gelignite in a cupboard at his Tanby Road property late Wednesday which forced police to evacuate nearby residents.

The street was blocked off for about half an hour as explosives experts were called in.

Gelignite is an explosive mixture composed of nitroglycerine, guncotton, wood pulp and potassium nitrate.

“The (explosive inspector) said he was holding his breath when he was carrying it out,” Frank's son Phil said.

Frank was able to shed light on the origin of the gelignite.

“In the old days you could buy it over the counter - it was common as can be,” the 93-year-old said yesterday.

Frank said he was a well sinker in the 1930s and he used gelignite to blow up wells to make them deeper.

He said he also used it around his farm at Alton Downs.

When he moved to Yeppoon in 1964, Frank said he took a box of gelignite with him and put it in a cupboard where it stayed for over 45 years.

“It was in a cool spot.

“It was just gelly - as far as I was concerned it was not dangerous.”

A Queensland Mines and Energy spokesman for the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation said explosive inspectors yesterday safely disposed of the gelignite.

“The inspectors visited the property and managed the safe recovery and disposal of the gelignite, which was about 40 years old, on site,” he said.

“Because of its age, the gelignite represented a potentially high risk to safety and could have caused significant damage to structures if incorrectly handled and detonated.”

Queensland Mines and Energy encouraged members of the public who find explosives or have them in their possession to either contact police or call the Explosives Inspectorate 24-hour hotline on 1300 739 868 to arrange for their safe recovery and disposal.