View from North Head looking down Sydney Harbour - June 2012 |
On Sunday afternoon, we went on a most interesting tour of North Head Sanctuary on the northern headland of the entrance to Sydney Harbour.
The tour was sponsored was the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales and was conducted by two volunteers from the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust which now has responsibility for this section of the Headland.
The present day history of this area began in the 1930's with its fortification as part of the Australian coastal defence network established in the build-up to World War Two.
North Fort was built with a battery of two 9.2 inch Coastal guns and four 3.7 inch heavy artillery anti-aircraft guns. There was a extensive network of underground tunnels; a plotting room to interpret any intelligence received; a Shell Store and Engine Room - all concreted some 6 metres underground. It was one of the most heavily fortified sites in Australia in World War Two.
The following photos are from the gun battery complex:
No 2 Gun Placement- North Head June 2012 |
Cross Section of the Gun Complex |
Site of the Gun Placement |
Shell Store - could hold 250 shells when fully stocked |
Underground tunnel - North Fort June 2012 |
Above ground again, we came upon:
The Close Defence Battery Observation Post which was manned generally at night or for close defence actions and could be used in conjunction with searchlights mounted in the cliff face on North Head.
Close Defence Battery Observation Post |
The Avenue of Honour - a cobblestone avenue created in 1928 as a memorial to local soldiers killed in the First World War. It was originally lined with Norfolk pines and today straddles a stone perimeter fence built in the Great Depression.
Avenue of Honour |
Main Entrance to the Barracks Building |
The old North Fort today houses the National Artillery Museum which was established in 1990.
As a postscript to the day, we saw the Chilean Navy tall ship Esmeralda sailing out of Sydney Harbour on a training voyage.
Esmeralda sailing out of Sydney Harbour - 24 June 2012 |
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If you are interested in researching Australian history, go to our website at:
http://www.historyservices.com.au/
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