Destination's Journey

Category: Army

  • Middle Head Sydney Harbour

    Middle Head Sydney Harbour

    Middle Head

    Middle Head on Sydney Harbour houses the remains of Sydney’s original fortifications. Designed to repel an invasion from the sea, these huge concrete structures no longer have their guns, but remain as a reminder of times when Australia thought it was going to be invaded.

    The Royal Australian Navy still has a presence in the area with HMAS Penguin still an active naval base. The car park for Middle Head is near the base. There is a fee for parking here and ticket machines are located in the car park.

    Several of the old administration buildings are still in use and you walk past them on your way to the gun emplacements. The concrete structures are extensive, and you are free to walk around, through and over them. We explored them for a while and then admired the views over the harbour and towards North Head and South Head with Hornby Lighthouse.

    • Fortifications Middle Head Sydney Harbour
      Fortifications
    • Fortifications Middle Head Sydney Harbour
      Fortifications
    • View to North Head Across the Harbour Middle Head Sydney Harbour
      View to North Head Across the Harbour
    • View to South Head Across the Harbour Middle Head Sydney Harbour
      View to South Head Across the Harbour

    There is a small display of cannon carriages, but this is in need of signage and maintenance to give context to the display. Likewise, the tiger cages constructed in the area require an explanation to make them relevant.

    • Tiger Cage Middle Head Sydney Harbour
      Tiger Cage

    There are no food and drink outlets on the site, but we took our own and had a great view over the harbour while we ate.

    Beehive Casements

    Situated on Middle Head and maintained by National Parks and Wildlife, this old fortress can only be accessed by a guided tour. Details of the dates and costs can be found on NPWS website.

    To get there, you drive through leafy Mossman and pass many lovely houses. Parking in the area is limited, so either arrive early, or walk from one of the larger car parks. Warning signs along the road show that parking in a non designated area will incur a $300 fine.

    Beehive Casements Tour

    The guide met us at the beehive casements where he gave an overview of their history and significance to Sydney. We then walked down stairs to the interior of the fort. The stairs can be slippery so take care. Once inside, you can see the extent of the excavations needed to build them. The passageways are often wet, because the sandstone they were built with is porous and water constantly sleeps through.

    Embrasures facing Sydney Harbour provide a magnificent view and show why the forts were built here as they have a commanding view of any ships attempting to enter the harbour.

    The shape of the interior provides the name of the casements, as they look like a conical beehives. The remains of several old cannons lie on the rock floors, but have unfortunately been burnt by vandals in the past. Some other remnants like racks for tools and coat racks still line the walls but have become rotted or rusty, providing some interesting photographic opportunities.

    • Beehive Casements Upper Works

      Upper Works of the Beehive Casements
    • Beehive Casements Tunnel
      Beehive Casements Tunnel
    • Beehive Casements Interior
      Beehive Casements Interior
    • Stairs Down to Lower Level
      Stairs Down to Lower Level
    • Burnt Cannon Carriage
      Burnt Cannon Carriage
    • Burnt Cannon Carriage
      Burnt Cannon Carriage

    For another perspective of the beehive casements, look for them when taking the Manly ferry. They can be found low down on the waterline of the cliffs. Looking carefully the three gun embrasures are visible.

    Beehive Casements From Sydney Harbour
    Beehive Casements From Sydney Harbour

    A great place to visit and see Sydney’s early history as well as fantastic views over the harbour. For more early fortifications and military history, visit nearby Bradleys Head and the HMAS Sydney (I) mast and Royal Australian Navy memorials.

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

  • Bowenfels Gun Emplacements

    Bowenfels Gun Emplacements

    Bowenfels Gun Emplacements

    The Bowenfels Gun Emplacements were constructed during World War 2,  to protect the Small Arms Factory and coal production at a Lithgow. These industries were important to Australia’s war effort.  The potential of an attack due to improvements in aircraft technology led to the construction of air defenses.

    Placed around Lithgow, two anti-aircraft batteries defended the town and its infrastructure during the early 1940s. Three dummy sites, intended to confuse attackers were built nearby. The Bowenfels site is the only one preserved. Well presented with information panels describing the area and its function, it is great to walk around. Several panels were from World War 2, like the one below on how to recognise Japanese planes.

    • Aircraft Recognition Chart Bowenfels Gun Emplacements Lithgow NSW
      Aircraft Recognition Chart


     QF 3.7” Anti-Aircraft Guns

    A huge bonus is the presence of three 3.7” anti-aircraft guns, placed as they would have been during the war. These are mobile units, not the static ones used here, but are very similar. This gives the site a realistic feel, unlike many other disused fortifications where no guns are present.

    • QF 3.7-inch Anti-Aircraft Gun Bowenfels Gun Emplacements Lithgow NSW
      QF 3.7-inch Anti-Aircraft Gun
    • QF 3.7-inch Anti-Aircraft Gun Bowenfels Gun Emplacements Lithgow NSW
      QF 3.7-inch Anti-Aircraft Gun

    The concrete structures are all in good condition and visitors can enter them all and inspect the guns. Panels detail the uses of the different types of structures. Some were for the guns while others housed range detectors and command bunkers.

    • Bowenfels Gun Emplacements Lithgow NSW
      Bowenfels Gun Emplacements Lithgow NSW

    Access to the Gun Emplacements

    Access is easy, and a small visitors’ car park is available next to the site, which is only a short walk away. Now surrounded by modern development on three sides, the site itself is in a grassy field.  Walking over the field is easy, but no pathways are present, so be careful and watch your footing.

    A great piece of Australian war time history hidden away in the outskirts of Lithgow. After visiting the Small Arms Factory, it was interesting to visit its defender only a few kilometers away. Worth visiting if you are in the area because it’s the only inland one known to exist.

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

  • Tomaree Head Summit Walk

    Tomaree Head Summit Walk

    Tomaree Head Summit Walk

    The Tomaree Head Summit Walk is part of the Tomaree National Park near Nelson Bay New South Wales, Australia. This is a great bush walk to the summit of Mount Tomaree, which can be very steep in places, so take your time. Rest and enjoy the fantastic scenery and stunning views from the top as well as along the way. From the summit you can see out to the surrounding islands and waterways.

    The walkways are very well constructed and maintained by the 
    NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.  At the base of the mountain they are paved changing to metal gratings, railings and natural rock paths as you get higher. There are several stairways and narrow walkways, so be patient and let others pass.

    • Tomaree Head Summit Walk
      Tomaree Head Summit Walk
    • Steps on the Track Tomaree Head Summit Walk
      Steps on the Track
    • Metal Walkways Tomaree Head Summit Walk
      Metal Walkways

    Parking

    The car park at the start of the track is quite small and on weekends and during school holidays it can become full quickly. Some people park on the road or on one of the side-tracks, but even these can become full.

    Xenith Beach

    The entrance for Xenith Beach is a near the start of the Tomaree Head Summit Walk. If you don’t want to go onto the beach you get fantastic views from the top of the walk.

    • Xenith Beach Tomaree Head Summit Walk
      Xenith Beach

    World War 2 Gun Emplacements

    The track to the World War II gun emplacements leads off from the Tomaree Head Summit track. We took this track after coming back down from the top of the mountain. The walk around to the gun and placements is flat and consists of an old bitumen road, so is very easy after the climb to the summit. The emplacements themselves date from World War II and are of concrete construction. Although dismantled, leaving only the outer shells, they are still interesting to visit.

    If you’re interested in World War II and the fortifications built in Australia at that time this is a great place for you to visit. As an additional bonus you get some great views over the surrounding ocean and out to the islands.

    • Fort Tomaree Tomaree Head Summit Walk
      Fort Tomaree

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.