Colonial Ammunition Company Box

[dsgrant]

Was visiting a friend who is cleaning out his deceased fathers place.
He had this munitions box in the shed,it is marked Colonial Ammunition Co.
The box is located in Australia,its really well made.Im feeling its WW1 or Pre.
As its out of my era,Im after any ideas and feedback on it.




The box measures 40cm L x 29cm H x 21cm D

[BrentNunns]

The beginnings of the Colonial Ammunition Company came after a few drinks at a club in New Zealand in 1885, when Sir George Whitmore mentioned he wished someone would manurfacture cartridges in the colony to save shipping delays from England. John Whitney (originally from Scotland) took up the challenge and partnered with W H Hazard (an Auckland gun & cartridge importer.)They had a bit of a rocky start, but with some innovative cartidge designs they began to grow.
On 11th Dec 1888 Whitney & Sons converted into a limited liability company under the title of the Colonial Ammunition Company. A new head office was opened in London.
In 1889 the Colonial Ammunition Company set up a factory in Australia, again with a rocky start.
The Auckland NZ factory reached its peak production during WW1 when its staff (250) by working around the clock, maintained a production rate of some 1,250,000 rounds of Mark 6 303 cartridges per month.
The box you have, I believe is a WW1 cartridge box which most proably contained Mk VI 303 rounds.