This was published 6 years ago
From the Archives, 1979: Robot v bank 'bomb'
On November 28th, 1979, a bomb disposal team dealt with an alleged 'bomb' in what turned out to be an attempted bank robbery in Chatswood. Commuters looked on as the "Wheelbarrow" robot went to work.
First published in the Sydney Morning Herald on November 29th, 1979.
Police evacuated a CBC bank branch and nearby shops, and blocked off the main street in Chatswood yesterday after a teller found a note that said there was a bomb in the bank.
More than 30 police kept hundreds of shoppers, commuters and schoolchildren out of range for two hours. An Army bomb disposal team sent a remote-controlled robot, known as a "wheelbarrow" into the bank to deal with a suspicious parcel. It fired two shotgun blasts into the parcel — but all the parcel contained was sand and pieces of metal. The incident began at 2.45pm when a man, believed to bo wearing a crash helmet, left a briefcase on the counter of a teller's cage while the teller was busy. The teller put the case aside for 10 minutes before showing it to a second teller.
When the briefcase was opened, the tellers found a note demanding money and claiming that a bomb had been put in the bank, The note said the money should be put in the briefcase and put on the bus stop outside the bank or the bomb would be detonated.
"Do not tell the police," the note said.
The manager of the branch, who asked that his name be withheld, saw a package 60cm by 45cm wrapped in brown paper on the floor of the banking chamber and called police.
Inspector R. Cox, who headed police at the scene, said later the man who 'left the package could have been watching the bank and fled when police arrived.
15 shops evacuated
Chatswood police and Scientific Squad detectives decided the package could contain explosives and evacuated bank staff and 15 surrounding shops.
Victoria Avenue was closed to traffic for two blocks from Chatswood Station to Anderson Street and buses from the station terminus were redirected around back streets.
As the peak hour approached, traffic became congested and hundreds of confused commuters trying to find their buses were delayed.
The "wheelbarrow" robot was designed in Northern Ireland by British forces to detonate bombs without, endangering the lives of Army ammunition technicians.
The “Wheelbarrow” robot was developed in 1971-72 by Peter Miller, a retired lieutenant-colonel of the British Army. It was based on a modification Miller made to his lawnmower.
The “Wheelbarrow” has been through a number of revisions over the years with the most recent model, the Mk 9, still in operation today.