Guns & Cannon Along Victoria's South West Coastline
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HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF GUNS & CANNON ALONG VICToria’S SOUTH WEST COASTLINE The Batteries By 1909, the threat of attack had declined so the emphasis on Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries the threat of invasion posed defending regional outposts receded and the fortifications were by wars waging in Europe, Canada and the United States led to an downgraded and soon became redundant. The sites again became integrated system of defence along Victoria’s coastline. Between 1866 strategic briefly during World War Two. World War One trophy and 1887 the colonial government developed a network of permanent guns and World War Two disposal guns located on Cannon Hill at fortifications at strategic positions to defend Victoria’s principal Warrnambool complement the south-west collection. ports. This network consisted of small coastal settlements that were already established hubs of trade and industry, the forts at Queenscliff, The Guns South Channel Fort and Point Nepean, and Melbourne. Due to the importance of these ports as gateways to the interior, it was feared they Naval artillery was designed first and foremost to destroy ships at Gun Carriage outside Drill Hall and Orderly Room, Warrnambool were vulnerable to attack from the sea. sea and was therefore favoured over lighter land-based counterparts. photo courtesy of Warrnambool & District Historical Society The south-west Victorian defences used naval artillery either taken This was achieved by mounting the guns initially on simple wooden- A report prepared in 1877 by two of Britain’s military advisors, General from ships or supplied directly to the batteries. Despite variations in wheeled trolleys. As naval artillery became heavier, basic wooden Jervois and Captain Scratchley, identified sites suitable to facilitate size, naval artillery of the 1800s was similar the world over. Initially carriages became insufficient and were superseded by carriages and defence operations in Australia. The report stated that ‘the local the barrels of naval guns and cannon were simply bored out of solid slides which could be swivelled on iron rails to change direction and defences of British ports need not provide … complete protection pieces of cast iron forming a smooth interior. Later, advantages were which enabled the gun to recoil and return to its original position for against prolonged operations, but they should be sufficiently formidable achieved by rifling, that is, boring spiral groves inside the barrel which refiring. to act as a powerful deterrent to attack by hostile warships’. Following made a cannon ball spin making firing more accurate. Breach loading, this report, fortifications were constructed by the colonial government that is, slotting shells through a gap in the side of the barrel rather than At the end of their useful lives in Europe, one of three fates awaited in prominent locations at Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Portland during dropping shells into the front, increased the rate of fire from each gun. these naval artillery pieces. Most gun barrels were melted down in the 1880s. Britain, the metal reused and the carriages and slides destroyed. Some By 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars naval artillery standardised on pieces were handed down replacing older artillery or relegated to The fortifications were designed to house artillery pieces that were the 32 and 36 ‘pounder’ smooth-bore, muzzle-loaded guns capable of lesser defensive sites like those set up along the south-west coast of imported to the colony from Britain as early as the 1850s. Some of the firing a cannon ball weighing 32 or 36 pounds (14.5 or 16.3 kg). The Victoria. Others were removed from their defensive sites and re- pieces dated from the Napoleonic Wars. The fortifications included: 32 pdr fired a cannon ball a distance of 2.5 kms. Smaller 24 pdr guns erected as monuments. Surviving guns from the 1800s are now rare concrete gun emplacements, armouries, powder magazines, officers’ were sometimes re-bored to enable them to fire a 32 pound cannon internationally and their timber carriages and slides are extremely rare. huts and earth ramparts. Associated drill halls and orderly rooms were ball. As the nineteenth century progressed warships were fitted with located off-site within the towns. Accompanying artillery pieces were iron sheathing as armour requiring larger artillery to pierce them. The Glossary grouped together in a battery. The operation and maintenance of each 68 pdr small bore, muzzle-loaded gun enabled firing a cannon ball 2.9 battery was undertaken by a garrison of local voluntary militia who km. By the late 19th century further advances were achieved including • Cannon (including guns, howitzers and mortars) - large mounted trained at the battery and the drill hall. In 1884, at the height of the a rifled, muzzle-loaded 80 pdr gun which could fire a 32.3 kg armour artillery that fire heavy projectiles (shot or shell) Russian ‘scare’ at least seventy-five men were assigned to each battery. piercing shell a distance of 3.7 km which then exploded on contact. • Smooth Bore Artillery – smooth barrel interior The fortifications were established on elevated positions commanding • Rifled Artillery – spiral grooves within a gun barrel views over the Southern Ocean. Unlike land combat artillery, coastal artillery did not have to be moved • Muzzle Loaded – cannon balls front loaded into the barrel about but still required manoeuvring to select distance and direction. • Breech Loaded – cannon balls loaded into the side of the barrel • Gun Carriage – wheeled trolley on which barrel is mounted • Gun Slide – sloping support for barrel and carriage which absorbs recoil • Trophy Gun – a gun captured from an enemy and displayed publicly by a victor • Disposal Gun – a gun returned to a domestic location • Mortar – shell guns used for high-angle firing • Howitzer – shell guns used for horizontal firing • Battery – a grouping of artillery pieces in one defensive location • Redoubt – small defensive area within a fortification • Garrison – a group of soldiers who make up a defence force Battery Hill Portland Battery Hill Port Fairy photo courtesy of Portland Historical Society photo courtesy of Port Fairy Historical Society Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Portland and Fairy Port Warrnambool, Australian Military History Publications Loftus NSW, 1998,. NSW, Loftus Publications History Military Australian , , Guns Colonial Nicholls, Bob of courtesy cannon of Images A guide to the coastal fortifications in in fortifications coastal the to guide A 80 pdr RML Gun. Gun. RML pdr 80 provided by the GIS officers of the municipalities. the of officers GIS the by provided photographs are provided by Heritage Matters Pty Ltd. The maps are are maps The Ltd. Pty Matters Heritage by provided are photographs Historic photographs are provided by local historical societies. Modern Modern societies. historical local by provided are photographs Historic Download from http://www.flagstaffhill.com/. http://www.flagstaffhill.com/. from Download Warrnambool and the Moyne and Glenelg Shires. Shires. Glenelg and Moyne the and Warrnambool by ARCHAEO Cultural Heritage Services prepared for the City of of City the for prepared Services Heritage Cultural ARCHAEO by Victorian Guns and Cannon, South Western Victoria’ 2007, a report report a 2007, Victoria’ Western South Cannon, and Guns Victorian The text has been taken from ‘Conservation Management Plan of of Plan Management ‘Conservation from taken been has text The of Warrnambool and the Moyne and Glenelg Shires. Glenelg and Moyne the and Warrnambool of This brochure has been prepared by Heritage Matters Pty Ltd for the City City the for Ltd Pty Matters Heritage by prepared been has brochure This cknowledgements A Portland Historical Society, [email protected], [email protected], Society, Historical Portland Port Fairy Historical Society, [email protected], (03) 5568 2263 5568 (03) [email protected], Society, Historical Fairy Port [email protected], (03) 5562 6940 5562 (03) [email protected], Warrnambool & District Historical Society, Society, Historical District & Warrnambool urther information urther F 68pdr SBML Gun. Gun. SBML 68pdr , Katoomba, Tranter Enterprises, 1992. Enterprises, Tranter Katoomba, , 1850-1900 Colonial guns: a pictorial record of the firearms used in Australia Australia in used firearms the of record pictorial a guns: Colonial Edgar, Penzig, Moyne Shire, 2007, re-edited by Heritage Matters Pty Ltd. Pty Matters Heritage by re-edited 2007, Shire, Moyne Jean, Amanda and others, ‘Battery Hill Reserve, Port Fairy’, a report to to report a Fairy’, Port Reserve, Hill ‘Battery others, and Amanda Jean, , Scienceworks, Spotswood, 1994. Spotswood, Scienceworks, , Guide Field a Guns, Victoria’s Bill, Billet, , Portland, 1994. Portland, , Battery Historic Portland’s Gwen, Bennett, eading R dditional A them with care. with them Heritage Act 1995 apply. Please respect the value of these guns and treat treat and guns these of value the respect Please apply. 1995 Act Heritage be tampered with, removed or damaged in any way. Penalties under the the under Penalties way. any in damaged or removed with, tampered be The items listed in this brochure are of heritage significance and must not not must and significance heritage of are brochure this in listed items The ur Heritage ur O espect R all times. times. all playing on the guns is also dangerous. Children should be supervised at at supervised be should Children dangerous. also is guns the on playing Walking around the battery structures can be dangerous. Climbing or or Climbing dangerous. be can structures battery the around Walking Play Safe Play 32 pdr SBML Gun. Gun. SBML pdr 32 views of the coastline. coastline. the of views fortifications are in outstanding elevated locations and provide excellent excellent provide and locations elevated outstanding in are fortifications Museum, all fortifications and their guns are accessible free of charge. All All charge. of free accessible are guns their and fortifications all Museum, the exception of the guns displayed in the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village Village Maritime Hill Flagstaff the in displayed guns the of exception the south-western Victoria.