Fort Macquarie
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2017) |
| Fort Macquarie | |
|---|---|
| Bennelong Point, Sydney | |
 Fort Macquarie, 1858-1859, William Hetzer. | |
  Fort Macquarie | |
| Coordinates | 33°51′25″S 151°12′55″E / 33.856944°S 151.215278°E |
| Typ | Fort |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Demolished in 1901 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1817 |
Fort Macquarie was a square castellated battlement fort built in 1798 at Bennelong Point, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, where the Sydney Opera House now stands.[1] It was demolished in 1901 to make way for the Fort Macquarie Tram Depot.
History
A half moon battery on the east point of Bennelong Point was constructed in May 1798 when the ship HMS Supply was withdrawn from service. Lieutenant William Kent and crew were assigned to man the battery. The battery supposedly consisted of some of the guns taken from HMS Supply, though these were too few and too small to be of much use.
In 1817 Governor Lachlan Macquarie directed that a new fort be built on the site at Bennelong Point and this was completed in February 1821.
In 1901 the New South Wales Minister of Works decided to remove Fort Macquarie. A naval drill shed on the site was also pulled down and both buildings were replaced with the Fort Macquarie Tram Depot whose crenulated walls imitated the original towers and walls of the fort.[2]
Design
Designed by Francis Greenway the foundation stone of Fort Macquarie was laid by Governor Lachlan Macquarie on 17 December 1817. The stone used was from the nearby Governor's Domain quarry and the prisoners worked on it for around two years before it was complete. Its square design meant three of its faces were open to the sea to ensure a clear line of fire for its cannons.[3]
At the centre stood a two-story tower, 27.4 metres in circumference which housed housed a guardroom and storehouse. The walls at the top were around one and a half metres thick.[4] A powder magazine capable of storing 350 barrels of gunpowder was constructed underneath and the tower could provide accommodation for a small military detachment of 1 officer and 18 men, with stores for the battery.[1] The battery consisted of fifteen pieces of ordnance: ten 24-pounders and five 6-pounders.[1]
The powder magazine capable of storing 350 barrels of gunpowder was constructed underneath the tower which also provided accommodation for a small military detachment of one officer and 18 men, with stores for the battery.[1] In the early years the fort was separated from the main spit of land by a narrow passage of salt water crossed by a drawbridge, this was later filled up to make a roadway.[5]
Cannon disposal
Two 42 pdr ML cannon from Fort Macquarie were removed from the fort and transported to Newcastle in 1903 to form a memorial in Gregson Park, Hamilton. In 2006 they underwent a refurbishment and have been replaced back into Gregson Park.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d "Fort Macquarie". Journeys in Time. Macquarie University. 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- ^ Vanishing Sydney, 2 March 1901, The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), p. 539. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ FORT MACQUARIE, 26 January 1935, The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 10. Retrieved July 16, 2020
- ^ FORT MACQUARIE, 26 January 1935, The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 10. Retrieved July 16, 2020
- ^ FORT MACQUARIE, 26 January 1935, The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 10. Retrieved July 16, 2020
- ^ Rae, Vic. "Gregson Park Cannons". Royal Australian Artillery Association (New South Wales) Inc. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
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