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Kangaroo Bluff Battery

Entrance




Kangaroo Bluff is over at Bellerive, on the eastern shore, with a good view of the city.

Mt Wellington from Kangaroo Bluff


In 1836, it was decided to build a battery on each side of the harbour to protect against seaborne attacks. Building commenced in late 1880, and the fort was completed in 1884. Just a bit after the fact. Of course, it was never actually used in defense.

Plan


The fort is in the shape of a pentagon,

Caponier in ditch


with a ditch around the outside.

Inside are two walkways below ground level, each covering two sides of the pentagon. Between these, at the front, are underground galleries, loading rooms etc (9 on plan).


To left


Steps lead down to the walkways at the back.

Steps


Just past the steps is a underground passage that connects the two sections. (Black line on plan)

Entrance to passageway


Passageway


There are two guns along each side of the pentagon, one at each corner.

No. 4


On the section of walkway between the guns is a gun store

Walkway past gun store



Gun Store


No. 3 Gun


No. 3 Gun (8 on plan)

Down the nose


This is the entrance to the underground section (9 on plan)

Underground


On the other (city) side the layout is the same,

Other side


Other side


Mt Wellington from No 1.Gun


Mt Wellington from Kangaroo Bluff. That's the site of the no. 1 gun.

Second gun store


Gun store on the city side.

Gun No. 2


The second gun on the city side.


Parade Ground


Parade ground, just inside the entrance.


Each of the back corners of the ditch has a caponier (14 on plan), that fires along the ditch to prevent attacks from land.

Caponier


Access to these is via a hatch.

Hatch

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