Henry Head Battery

Henry Head Battery
Little Bay in Australia
6" gun emplacement from the rear exterior of the fortification
Coordinates33°59′54″S 151°14′17″E / 33.998272°S 151.237981°E / -33.998272; 151.237981
Site history
Built1892 (1892)- 1895 (1895)
In use1895 (1895)- 1910 (1910)

The Henry Head Battery is an artillery battery on the northern side of the entrance to Botany Bay at Henry Head, La Perouse, New South Wales Australia.[1]

History

Inside the fort
Inside Henry Head Battery

Constructed between 1892 - 1895 with 2 BL 6-inch Mk V disappearing guns,[2] the fort operated until 1910, after which it became obsolete.

The battery, along with two six-inch (152.4 mm – diameter) gun emplacements and observation posts, was re-employed during World War II to defend the approaches to Botany Bay.[3] During WWII, it was armed with two 18-pounder Mk IV field guns and two QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns.[2] The underground bunker and tunnel complex consisted of vaulted ammunition storage rooms with double walls and ceilings, which were designed to stop them collapsing in the event of a direct hit.

The remains of the fortifications can still be seen.

  • 1 of 2 search emplacements
    1 of 2 search emplacements
  • 6" BL disappearing gun emplacement
    6" BL disappearing gun emplacement

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry Head Battery (New South Wales).
  1. ^ La Perouse Battery, Sydney, NSW
  2. ^ a b David Spethman. The Garrison Guns of Australia 1788 - 1962. Inala, QLD: Ron H Mortensen. pp. 98, 155, 165, 174. ISBN 978-0-9775990-8-0.
  3. ^ "History". NSW Gold CLub. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2007.


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