Holsworthy Barracks | |||||||||||
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Aerial view of the barracks' helicopter facilities
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
Operator | Australian Army | ||||||||||
Location | Sydney, New South Wales | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 250 ft / 76 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 33°59′42″S 150°57′06″E / 33.99500°S 150.95167°ECoordinates: 33°59′42″S 150°57′06″E / 33.99500°S 150.95167°E | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
Location in New South Wales | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Sources: AIP
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Holsworthy Barracks (ICAO: YSHW) is located in the outer south-western Sydney suburb of Holsworthy. It is part of the Holsworthy military reserve, which has been a training area and artillery range for the Australian Army since World War I. Following World War II it became a major base for the permanent component of the Australian Army in New South Wales. Following the movement of many units of the Regular Army to Darwin, Northern Territory, in the late 1990s many Army Reserve units were moved from other depots to Holsworthy Barracks, including the Headquarters of the 5th Brigade.
The base is currently home to 142 Signal Squadron, 2nd Commando Regiment (2 Cdo Regt), 6th Aviation Regiment and the 1st Health Support Battalion (1 HSB). A number of training units and the Defence Force Correctional Establishment are also located at Holsworthy.
On 4 August 2009, four men from Melbourne, Victoria, were charged over the Holsworthy Barracks terror plot, a plan to storm the barracks with automatic weapons, and shoot anyone they encountered until they themselves were killed or captured. The men were connected with the Somali-based terrorist group al-Shabaab.Prime Minister Kevin Rudd later announced that the federal government had ordered a review of security at all military bases. On 6 August 2009, a Daily Telegraph reporter and photographer were charged with taking a photograph of a defence installation after being granted entry to the military base. In December 2011 three of the terror plotters were sentenced to 18 years in prison.