The Little Fort, Sydney Harbour

The Little Battery

The headland at Mrs Macquarie’s Point also had strategic value in the early defence of Sydney Harbour. The first example of its military use was a response to the fears of foreign invasion during the Crimean War (1853-1856). In 1856 Mrs Macquarie’s Point was equipped with a ‘masked battery’ of eight artillery pieces. These were arranged above and behind Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. The battery was composed of a rammed earth and concrete defilade (wall) fitted with embrasures.

Little Fort at Mrs Macquarie’s Point with HMS Liverpool facing Garden Island c. 1870
National Library of Australia.

It was commonly referred to as ‘the little fort’, usually in association with Mrs Macquarie’s Point. By 1870, the concern over foreign invasion had all but dissipated and the guns were removed. An archaeological excavation and subsequent report were undertaken in 1989 on the Masked Battery, after which it was promptly buried again to preserve the site.

Of interest, this is the broader view of Garden Island from Mrs Macquarie's point where the Little Fort was located, in 1877. I was fortunate to live on the left hand most landmass for about 6 years (though it became attached to the mainland with the construction of the Dry Dock during WW2).