Ben Buckler Disappearing Gun Emplacement, Sydney

Earlier fortifications focused on inner harbour defences, but technology had rapidly progressed in the intervening years to require Sydney's approaches and entrance itself to become the focus.

In 1871 a string of works were undertaken in Sydney at outer and inner Middle Head, Georges Head, South Head, Steele Point and Bradleys Head. However, improvements in armaments led to continual redundancy of the fortifications by the 1880's. 

The batteries, including Ben Buckler, were aimed to maximise the new gun technologies of the era, and as a deterrent to hostile attack by increasingly efficient naval vessels bombarding the city from outside the harbour. Coastal guns were used in a 'counter-bombardment' role - to repel armed ships approaching, passing or bombarding population centres like Sydney. They had to be equal to the power of ship-mounted guns, and were used in association with smaller guns aimed at attacking vessels entering port along with other harbour defence systems such as mines and torpedo boats. 

The "Bondi Battery" was located under the now public parkland,
commanding the southern approach to Sydney Harbour from seaward.

Constructed in 1893, the Ben Buckler Gun Emplacement (aka "Bondi Battery") is one of the last coastal fortifications built in the colonial era, prior to Australia's Federation in 1901. Fitted with a 9.2inch naval gun, it one the last part of Sydney's outer defence perimeter and the culmination of the iterative fortification of Sydney since the Crimean War. It was no easy task:

"A Sydney Mail report said that, owing to the steepness and bad condition of the tracks, 35 horses were needed to drag the 20-tonne gun barrel, and when the wheels of the trolley sank deep into the ground a crane had to be employed. The operation took four weeks."

"'When in position, the gun will be able to pay considerable attention to any man-of-war attempting to bombard the city off Bondi,' was the opinion of a correspondent to the Sydney Illustrated News "

The 9.2 inch breech-loading gun types were originally designed for the Royal Navy. An 1879 British Ordinance Committee had earlier identified the need for Britain and its colonies to be able to match arms developments such as those of the German Imperial Army and Navy (Krupp guns). 

The Ben Buckler ('Bondi') Battery - specifics 

The three single guns batteries each consisted of a gun pit that incorporated a Mark '6' 9.2" (234mm) British-made breech-loading Armstrong hydro-pneumatic or 'disappearing' gun. The disappearing guns were prevalent at the end of the nineteenth century throughout Britain, its colonies and the United States. They were chosen because of their range and power, and upon firing and recoil, the gun retracted into its concealed pit and was therefore a lesser target to attacking naval vessels. The domed metal shield that covered the gun pit was devised to deflect incoming shells striking the battery. 

During the late nineteenth century, ten (10) 9.2" breech-loading 'counter bombardment' guns of this type were established in Australia. These comprised three (3) at Sydney's eastern suburb batteries (one being at Bondi) plus a spare barrel; four (4) in Victoria at Fort Nepean and Queenscliff, and two (2) in South Australia (purchased in 1888). The Adelaide guns were never established into Fort Glenelg but were bought back by the British government in 1915. 

The Sydney guns were purchased with three (3) hydro-pnuematic mounts and had the following serial numbers: Shark Point: #7317; Signal Hill: #7318; Bondi: #7319, and the spare: #7320. Of these guns, only the Signal Hill, Vaucluse barrel survives on public display at the Royal Australian Artillery Museum at North Fort, North Head. 

The Armstrong Foundry gun at Ben Buckler was cast in 1891 and established within its concrete casemate in 1893. The casemate allegedly had ten-metre (10m) thick concrete walls. Transportation of the gun from the Victoria Barracks, Sydney, involved a team of thirty-six horses and took three (3) weeks. The gun weighed 22 tons and was installed on an EOC Hydro-pneumatic Mark '1' disappearing mount, operated by hydraulic power. The gun was fired through a slot in the iron 'top' shield and could fire a 172-kilogram armour piecing projectile to a range of 8200 metres (8.2 kilometres). 

A report in the Sydney Morning Herald of April 1908 reported the findings of a Board of Enquiry into the premature firing of the Ben Buckler gun - illustrative of the dangers associated with this technology. 

It was not until the 1920s that Australian coastal defence sites began to be re-equipped with modern breech-loading 9.2" naval guns. These comprised the seven two-gun 'Mark 10' 9.2" batteries completed by World War Two. The new Sydney batteries comprised North Fort at North Head, and the Banks Battery at La Perouse. These sites still exist (minus the guns). 

Current Status
The Ben Buckler gun site has survived today through a series of unique events. Obsolete by the outbreak of World War Two, the gun was held in reserve. With the Federal military disposal program after the war, the majority of coastal gun fortifications were dismantled.  

The Australian coastal defence guns were generally offered for sale to be cut up for scrap value. No buyer was obtained for the Ben Buckler gun so it was allegedly buried under direction of Waverley Council in the 1950's, complete with its hydraulic raising mechanism and concrete emplacement works. The work allegedly involved the dumping of five feet of sand into and over the emplacement which was then incorporated into public grasslands.  

The gun's existence was forgotten until disturbance by excavation trench works associated with the Bondi sewerage treatment works in 1984. The exposed top of the concrete casemate was uncovered by mechanical diggers, photographed and surveyed by the (then) Waterboard Authority. The existence of the fortification led to its inclusion in the Waverley Heritage Study commissioned by council in 1990. At that time, the approximate location of the site was added to a modern plan of the Hugh Bamford Reserve. The gun is believed to have been retained within the below-ground level emplacement, although its existence has not been confirmed. The gun site remains/survives as a 'buried archaeological feature'.

From: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=5056455

https://celebrating.waverley.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/43819#idx86269

More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Buckler_Gun_Battery

Fort Denison, Sydney

Situated in the central approaches to the harbour, this natural island could not be more ideally situated to defend Sydney Cove.  Originally named Pinchgut Island (allegedly because that is where convicts were held on starvation ration for short periods), the rosy outcrop began its transformation in 1841 when Governor ordered the island to be fortified. Construction began in 1841, but progress was slow and often hampered by funding issues.

Artist's rendering of the original rocky island feature

This work was undertaken with convict labour without Imperial authorisation, which caused further angst.  

The Crimean War of 1854 and the threat to the colony posed by the strong Russian Pacific Fleet reinvigorated the project, and the new Governor of NSW Sir William Denison added his enthusiasm.  The Martello tower with its distinctive circular fortification was completed in 1857. 

Fort Denison pre-1885 loop-hole flank defences and seawall work

The only Martello tower to constructed in Australia and the last one built in the British Empire, it was originally equipped with two 10 inch guns (in the tower) and 12 x 8inch guns.

32 pounder guns installed as the tower was being built around them, so everything is authentic. They are dated to the reign of George III so they were old when they were installed. These are identical to the guns on the lower gun deck of HMS Victory.

Commencing in 1906, one of the Fort's gun was fired (without shot!) at 1.00 pm each day as the Sydney Observatory time ball was seen to drop. This was the signal which navigators used to synchronise their chronometers. This practice continues to today and if you go out to the island, they let someone from the crowd fire the gun - my Father in law did it on the day we visited because it was his birthday.

It has the distinction of having come under attack from U.S. friendly fire in 1942 when the tower was damaged by the heavy cruiser USS Chicago, as she opened fire on Japanese submarines at night during the Battle of Sydney.


Another interesting anecdote (from Wikipedia): In October 1900, as the Boer war raged in Africa, the White Star Line ship SS Medic sailed into Sydney Harbour and dropped anchor in Neutral Bay. One night, the fourth officer, Charles Lightoller and two shipmates rowed to Fort Denison and climbed the tower with a plan to fool locals into believing a Boer raiding party was attacking Sydney. They hoisted a makeshift Boer flag on the lightning conductor and fired a harmless wad of cotton waste from one of the 8-inch cannons.^[5][6] The blast shattered a few of the fort's windows but caused no other damage. 

Charles Lightoller was never apprehended but confessed to his company's superiors and related the whole story in an autobiography. He was transferred to the Atlantic route and went on to be the second officer of the RMS Titanic and the most senior officer to survive the sinking of the ship. He was a key witness at both the British and American inquiries into the disaster.

West view from the South Bastion

Bare Island Fort, Sydney

Bare Fort was part of the secondary defences of Sydney, not in the main harbour area but guarding the entrance to the industrial Port Botany, some 10 miles south. 

It was built on an existing natural sandstone island. Captain Cook first spotted the area now known as Bare Island in 1770, and referred to it in his journal as 'a small bare island'.

It was part of the latter ear of Colonial fortification to protect against "lighting raids" by enemy cruiser squadrons who could hold the city to ransom. It was built 1881-89 and marred by construction and design problems throughout.

Bare Island circa 1973

The garrison was approximately 70 men to crew the main armament: two RML 9 inch 12 ton guns, two RML 80 pounder guns, RML 10 inch 18 ton gun in an armoured casemate, and two five–barreled 0.45-inch (1.1 cm)Nordenfelt guns for close defence. The fortifications consist of five gun emplacements arranged symmetrically in an arc and linked by underground tunnels to reduce crew exposure to shot and shell.

The garrison was iteratively reduced in the years following federation and by 1912 was turned into a War Veterans home, the first of its kind in Australia.  Some of the guns were sold for scrap during the 1930s depression.

It was reoccupied by a small detachment in WW2, during which time Major General Whitelaw, in charge of coastal defence, had the following to say of Bare Island Fort in his memoirs;

"The Bare Island Section was to say the least rather a quaint military organisation, one officer, a sergeant, two bombardiers and about ten gunners.  Their main armament comprised two 3 pounder Hotchkiss QF guns which I understand had come from the RAN.  I suspect from their age they may well have beeen in service with the Colonial Navies before the turn of the century.  They were rifled but the years and rust had taken its toll and somewhat smoothed the bore.  The ammunition however was bright and shiny.  The other equipment was quite rudimentary – a telephone and a Hall beach light.  I don’t recall any range finding arrangements.

The charm of Bare Island lay in the barracks and the fortifications and the dozen or so old war veterans in residence.  Sometime between the wars the barracks had been set up as a war veterans’ home.  After a night’s duty and completing the dawn “stand-to” there was nothing more pleasant than to sit in the sun with one or two of the old gentlemen and hear their tales of days past.  To add to the pleasure would be a swim at Congwong Bay en route to Henry Head.

Bare Island must be counted as a gem of colonial military architecture.  Importantly, it was established to control the entrance to Botany Bay in the 1880s.  It had quite a formidable armament – two RML 9 inch 12 ton guns and two RML 80 pounder guns mounted en barbette, together with an impressive RML 10 inch 18 ton mounted in an armoured casemate.  The Fort in those far off days also boasted two 5 barrel 0.45 inch Nordenfelt machine guns on field mountings.  I didn’t see where they were kept but imagine they were housed on the mainland.  There was only one gun of the old armament visible – a 9 inch RML piece lying somewhat forlornly by the causeway inscribed “struck off charge 1923″.  The gun had apparently graced one of the emplacements which had been modified to receive a BL 6 inch Mark 5 gun on a disappearing (hydro-pneumatic) mounting which was emplaced in the late 1890s, about the time the Henry Head Battery was established with two similar guns.  My interest was taken by one of the veterans telling of the 10 inch gun in the armoured casemate.  He said they couldn’t get it out and they wanted the space for a billiard room for the veterans.  the solution was to excavate the rock floor under the gun and lower it;  cement it over, and install the billard table above it.  On inspecting the casemate there was no sign of the gun but the window occupying the embrasure took my eye, as it is not often one sees a small casement window with floral curtains fitted into a piece of15 inch armoured plate.  Apart from the four major emplacements on the ridge of the small island there were a couple of command posts and cut into the rock on the landward side, a rather elegant barracks to accommodate perhaps about 50 troops.  The barracks were built of sandstone, two storeys with verandahs, barracks rooms, NCO and officers quarters, orderly room, mess, kitchen and storerooms, all complete and operating and with direct access to the magazines and emplacements.  For local defence there was a loopholed wall connecting with the cliffs on either flank.  As for the soldiers of Bare Section, they seemed to be quite well catered for in this pleasant seaside barracks.  They tended the venerable 3 pounders mounted on the glacis in front of the RML 10 inch casemate.  It was really quite primitive at that time as the guns were simply mounted in the open on their cone mountings with no emplacements or protection.  Perhaps the refinements came later.  They were a happy crew who carried out their duties and drills to everyone’s satisfaction.  No doubt they kept the Japanese from Botany Bay, certainly they were much appreciated by the old veterans."

Beehive Casemate, Middle Head, Sydney

Beehive Casemate is a Colonial era fortification at Obelisk Bay, a small inslet within Sydney Harbour.  Construction was part of the wider defensive network and took place from 1871-1874.  The underground Casemate was one of the first to be locally designed and built after the withdrawal of British troops in 1870 as part of the Cardwell Reforms (under these reforms the  Australian and NZ colonies became responsible for their own land defence and small British army garrisons were replaced with locally raised units)

Three 3.7m by 2.1m high gunports in the cliff face

The fortification is built into the natural cliff face and contains three domed chambers that were used as gun emplacements, each chamber having a gunport with fields of fire to fire towards Sydney heads. They were intended to fire on enemy ships as they navigated the passages around Sow & Pigs Reef, within the entrance to Sydney Harbour. The underground chambers are of brick and mortar and were built into the excavated cavities in the sandstone bedrock.

Excellent fields of fire towards the entrance to Sydney Harbour

The Beehive Casemate was reinforced by another fortification above and adjacent to it, which would have added plunging fire to the direct waterline fire from the three Beehive guns.

Fort Philip

The hexagonal Fort Phillip on Windmill Hill c1891-1921 (NSW State Library)

Standing high on Windmill Hill above The Rocks, Fort Phillip was one of the initial fortifications built to defend the colony.   It was named after the founding Governor of the Colony, Admiral Arthur Phillip.

Construction began in 1804 (after the Dawes battery was completed, see previous post) in a hexagonal design to protect from threats coming from the ocean to the east, and the hinterland to the west.  The walls were made of locally quarried sandstone several feet thick.  However, with 3 walls completed, construction ceased and the fort was never finished.

The original Fort Phillip design

The Fort repurposed to a Signal Station c1842 (NSW State Library)

Though the guns remained there until the 1820s after which it languished.  In 1840 the land was considered more useful as a signal and telegraph station so the Fort was mostly demolished and repurposed. One wall, which still stands today, was converted to serve as the semaphore station's platform and the rest was levelled in the 1850s for the construction of Sydney Observatory which remains there today.

The redesign of the Fort area to become the Observatory and Signalling station

The fields of observation from Windmill hill are excellent, but the range for 19th century ordinance would have been challenging (Note this is a Krupp cannon captured from the Boers, part of a South African War Monument on the site)

The remodelled Signal Station, incorporating part of the original outer walls

The outer wall of the Signal Station - original from Fort Phillip

Outer North Wall - original sandstone revetment 

The excavated magazine entrance inside the original Fort

Excavation work in 2011- this view shows the use of the original wall as part of the semaphore station, and the entrance to the magazine.

The Observatory (with Timeball Tower atop for synchronising marine chronometers)

A relatively minor site, but one that the lad and I enjoyed visiting on a sunny summer day.

References:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-colonial-fort-that-never-was/2008/10/20/1224351155229.html

http://www.dayofarchaeology.com/sydney-observatory-and-fort-phillip/

http://dictionaryofsydney.org/building/fort_phillip

Dawes Battery, Sydney Cove

A Man and his 42 pdr RML

Dawes Point (now under the southern pylon of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge) was the site of the first coastal fortification in Sydney Cove, so I thought that was a good place to start my project to explore the Colonial Defences of Sydney.

Its sited on a natural spit of land on the southern side of the harbour with a thoroughly commanding view of the approaches to Sydney Cove.  It was one of three fortifications originally ordered, the others being Fort Macquarie (bottom right on the map below - which is now the site of the famous Sydney Opera House) and Fort Philip.  Between them they could enfilade any ship entering the Cove.

Dawes Point (upper right on this chart) had both elevation and a commanding field of fire over the entrance to Sydney Cove - a natural place to site a shore battery to defend the young colony in Sydney Cove.

(From: http://www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/harbour-forts.html)

Governor Arthur Phillip's first step was to fortify the entrance to Sydney Cove in 1788, as much to provide defence should there be a convict uprising as to engage any enemy ships that might came in close to the town in a hostile manner. He gave the task to Lieutenant William Dawes, an Officer of Engineers and Artillery in the detachment of Marines, who was instructed to build a simple mud redoubt for the storage of explosives. A similar fort was erected on Cattle Point (Bennelong Point) 


In October 1788, HMS Supply was dispatched to the Cape of Good Hope to purchase much needed supplies. To make as much room as possible for the purchases which it was hoped it would bring back, eight guns were taken ashore and mounted at the Dawes Point fort, which was extended to accommodate the additional firepower. In the 1830s, a more permanent structure was built with five mortars, thirteen 42 pounder cannon, a magazine and quarters for a garrison of soldiers and their commanding officer. This fort remained intact until 1929 when the section above ground was demolished to make way for the Sydney Harbour Bridge. 

You can see in these pics (taken by me at the site) how the battery evolved over time.  As technology (and funds) permitted, priority shifted to defining the outer harbour and the entrance and the Dawes Pt Battery became obsolete.  In 1925 it was demolished to make space for the southern pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  In the past 20 years, the site was excavated and preserved.

Initial Battery layout with landed naval guns

Diagram of the naval gun emplacement at the first battery

Dawes Point from a early 1800s Sydney map

The Crimean War sparked fears of raids by the Russian Pacific Fleet, and the fort was redeveloped and expanded. It also became the command post for the harbour defence network.

From the Royal Australian Artillery register: In 1853 a request was sent to the UK requesting to fortify Sydney harbour. Twenty 32 pounder and twenty 56 pounder guns were asked for and in 1854 twenty seven 32 pounders were despatched and five 42 pounders were substituted for the heavier 56 pounders. The five 42 pounder guns were mounted in the upper battery of Dawes Battery near the present site of the southern pylon of Sydney Harbour Bridge. A further five 42 pounders had been landed by 1861 and emplaced in new emplacements at Fort Macquarie (site of the present day Sydney Opera House).

With the expansion of outer harbour defences, the fort was reduced in size and obsolete guns decommissioned

The battery was demolished in 1925 and by 1932 the new bridge was completed.

This is how it looks today (well, this week when I visited it anyway!)

The Upper Battery survived until demolition and is now directly under the pylons of the bridge (that the brick structure to the right of the remaining gun).  You can see the remnants of the other gun platforms after their excavation around 10 years ago.

The surviving 42 pdr and carriage in the Upper Battery

The commanding field of fire from the Upper Battery

Dawes Pt Upper Battery circa 1875-1880 (pic from NSW Art Gallery)

The Lower Battery

Lower Battery with 32 pdr RMLs, 1870s

Lower Battery emplacement today (with 42 pdr RML)

Similarly commanding fields of fire over the centre of the harbour and the entrance to Sydney Cove

Overall, a nice bit of colonial history tucked away under the bridge where you wont find it unless you know its there.  Clearly a pivotal position for close defence of the colony both in its early days and throughout the Victorian era.

http://artilleryhistory.org/artillery_register/nsw/gun_dawes_point_sbml_42pdr_sn4.html
http://artilleryhistory.org/artillery_register/nsw/gun_dawes_point_sbml_42pdr_sn3.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawes_Point_Battery
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/visit/ViewAttractionDetail.aspx?ID=5053114
http://www.doryanthes.info/pdf/Dawes%20Point%20Excavation.pdf