Fort Scratchley Newcastle
No longer used by the military, Fort Scratchley is now a memorial to the servicemen and women who served there. During World War Two, the Japanese submarine I-21 attempted to shell Newcastle and the BHP Steel Works. Fortunately most of the shells missed or failed to explode with no-one hurt and only minor damage caused. Fort Scratcheley returned fire but failed to hit the submarine. In doing so, it became the only Australian fort to fire on an enemy ship.
Regularly fired by volunteers, two of the original guns are still in place. Most of the original buildings and tunnels are intact and can be viewed, with guided tours of the tunnels also available.
Now a heritage site, the fort’s buildings and guns from World War Two are still intact. Still operational, the guns are fired each day by volunteers. The upperworks and buildings are free to walk around, but a tour of the tunnels require a ticket as it is a guided tour.
As well as the fortifications, the views over Newcastle and the nearby beaches are fantastic.
Fort Exterior Displays
On entering the fort, you are free to enter all areas apart from the underground tunnels. As the tunnel tours are timed, we booked one and then went exploring the remainder of the fort. At the top of the hill, the 6-inch guns that fired on the I-21 can be seen and you are able to get close to them.
Older muzzle loading guns have been returned to the fort and re-sited where they used to be. The size of the 80-pound cannon really has to be seen to understand how massive it is.
Display Rooms
Rooms that used to house soldiers now serve as display rooms showing the history of the fort. A full room is dedicated to Sir Peter Scratcheley who the fort is named after. Another room has a model of the I-21 and some of the shells fired that night.
The Tunnels
The highlight of the trip was the tunnel tour which takes you under the fort and into its working areas. The guide was great and full of information about the fort’s past and how it worked. From the magazines that used to store the fort’s ammunition to the gun emplacements it was a comprehensive tour. We were able to get close to most of the guns to get a detailed look.
What Did We Think?
This was a great place to visit, because it’s full of local history and amazingly restored guns and displays. Well worth the visit.
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.