A pair of alarming discoveries by recreational metal detectorists in Perth has triggered major emergency responses, after two live artillery shells from the World Wars were unearthed in suburban parks just days apart.
South Park Signal Leads to Live Shell
The most recent incident occurred in South Perth on Friday, January 10, 2026. Graham Guiver and his friends were scanning the area with their metal detectors when they received an unusually strong signal. "I dug a hole around the area and kept searching," Mr Guiver recounted. It was then he made the startling realisation of what lay beneath.
He immediately contacted police, who swiftly secured the area. Specialist explosive ordnance personnel from the Australian Army were called to the scene. The team conducted an X-ray of the object, found buried about 20 centimetres underground, and confirmed it was a live artillery shell. It was subsequently removed for a controlled disposal.
Ellenbrook Find Reveals Partially Detonated Relic
Just days earlier, on Tuesday evening, a similar scenario unfolded in an Ellenbrook park. Local resident Sophie Cottrell was hoping to find common items like bottle caps or coins when her detector located a large, heavily corroded metal object.
Authorities later identified this object as an unfused QF 18-pounder high-explosive shell from either World War I or World War II. Investigations revealed the shell had partially detonated long ago, but a portion of the explosive charge remained intact inside the casing. Due to the late hour of the discovery, defence personnel opted for careful removal rather than on-site destruction. The shell was transported to Garden Island for safe disposal.
Historic Training Exercises Likely Source
Defence officials believe both discoveries are likely linked to historic military training exercises conducted in the Perth region decades ago. Captain Samuel Marsh of the Joint Explosive Ordnance group suggested the South Perth shell could be connected to Second World War training activities.
The two finds occurred roughly 10 kilometres apart, highlighting the unexpected historical dangers that can still lie dormant in urban green spaces. The incidents serve as a stark reminder for the public to exercise extreme caution and contact authorities immediately if they suspect they have found any form of unexploded ordnance.
