Fort Glanville Conservation Park
Encyclopedia
Fort Glanville Conservation Park is a registered heritage conservation area in Semaphore South, South Australia
, a seaside suburb of Adelaide
, that incorporates a functional 19th century fort. The fort was built after more than 40 years of indecision over the defence of South Australia. It was the first colonial fortification in the state and is the best preserved and most functional in Australia. Fort Glanville was designed by Governor Major General Sir William Jervois
and Lieutenant Colonel Peter Scratchley
, both important figures in early Australian colonial defence. When built it was designed to defend both Semaphore's
anchorage and shipping entering the Port River
from naval attack.
Construction of the fort began in 1878. It was officially opened in October 1880 and completed by 1882. Due to changes in the Port River and shipping movements, Fort Largs surpassed it for strategic importance by 1890. By the close of the 19th century, the fort was largely unused and had no defence significance. It was briefly used for military purposes during World War I
and World War II
, though not for its original defensive role. For much of the 20th century the area was put to a variety of uses including accommodation, a caravan park and a boy scout
campsite. After coming into state government hands in 1951 it was declared as a conservation park and is now managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service
; preserving and showcasing its historic value. The fort and surrounds occupy the northern half of the 5 hectares (12.4 acre) conservation park, the southern half is a caravan park. The fort is a lunette
shaped defensible battery that was supported by land forces for self-defence. When constructed it was seen as state of the art
, incorporating powerful and modern weapons. Its main armament is two rifled muzzle-loading (RML) 10 inch 20 ton guns backed up by two RML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun
s, both rare in their particular configuration. The fort retains its original 19th century cannons and three have been restored to working condition.
Fort Glanville Historical Association operates the park under license and conducts open days in the park, recreating the past operation of the fort including military drill and the firing of period weapons. The Association, park service, other volunteers and various grants have all helped ensure the fort is presented in close to original condition. It is the most complete 19th Century fort in Australia, and one of very few in the world that remains in original condition. Connecting the fort to Semaphore jetty is the Semaphore and Fort Glanville Tourist Railway, a 457 mm (18 in) gauge passenger steam train operated by volunteers from the National Railway Museum
.
, the colonists saw themselves as part of the British Empire
and external defence as an Imperial responsibility. Communication lines were long and the empire's wars remote. Great Britain had undisputed military predominance and she was expected by all to protect her colonies, even one as distant. For local defence, Governor
Gawler
raised the first military force in 1840, comprised solely of volunteers and known as the South Australian Volunteer Militia Brigade. It was granted the "Royal" title in 1841 but the brigade had all but ceased to exist a year later. The colony obtained its first artillery
in 1847 with the arrival of six field gun
s of various types.
Tensions between Britain and the Russian Empire
in the 1850s, as starkly demonstrated by the Crimean War
, along with Australia-wide moves towards self-government caused a reassessment of the colony's defence posture. The various colonies regarded themselves as possible targets for the Russian Pacific Fleet, then based in Siberia
. In 1854, Governor Henry Young
appointed a commission under Boyle Finniss
to report on the defence of the colony, in case of war. Boyle's report recommended leaving strategic defence in the hands of the Imperial Navy, though South Australia was to purchase a 400 ton naval vessel. Local defence was to be largely handled by the existing small Imperial garrison and local colonial force, supported by the artillery obtained in 1847. When the Crimean War ended in 1856, the danger passed and the perceived need for expensive defence preparations with it. For many years nothing substantive came about from debate on defence of the colony. Over time there formed a consensus favouring Semaphore
for fixed defences or fortification; a strategy also argued by the government established Hart Commission in 1858. Raiders
were seen as unlikely to force the shallows of the Port River
but instead were expected to stand off Semaphore, shell the port and use their guns to support landings
. The Hart Report recommended building of martello tower
s at Semaphore and Glenelg
, the first report to recommend permanent fortification at Semaphore, though none were built mainly due to the cost.
The volunteer military force was revived in 1859, with new and modern arms for the infantry
, cavalry
and artillery. Though there was a few years of enthusiasm and a restructuring in 1866, by 1870 the force was virtually disbanded. In that year also, British troops were withdrawn from the other Australian colonies; none were by then stationed in South Australia. With no definitive defence policy, in 1864 the government had sought advice from Captain Parkin of HMS Falcon
and Commodore Sir William Wiseman commander of the Australian station; both visiting British naval officers
. They both recommended fixed fortifications for the coast supported by gunboat
s. Sir Wiseman's report particularly recommended construction of forts at Semaphore, Port Creek's entrance and one midway between. In 1864 a story circulated, supported by press speculation, that there was a danger of the Russian fleet attacking Melbourne
should Russia and Britain find themselves at war. The South Australian Register
produced an editorial decrying the states lack of defences. Within days £20,000
(A$
4.14 million in 2005)Currency converted using relative rate of 85.08989 between January 1864 and 2005 for the Pound Stirling from:
Converted to Australian Dollars at $1=£0.4112 from Australian Reserve Bank published spot rate for January 2005 was provided by the government for defence, an amount then seen as insufficient for significant preparation. The danger passed without any lasting defence action except the government's in-principle adoption of Sir Wiseman's recommendations. To curtail costs only the Semaphore fort was to be built initially, as it was considered the most critical. Site preparation begun and two 9 inches (228.6 mm) guns were purchased, but escalating cost estimates caused the plan to be abandoned by 1868.
During the early 1870s South Australia's defence was solely dependant on the volunteer military, and a few artillery pieces purchased during earlier war scares. British troops had been withdrawn from the Australian colonies in 1870, leaving the state dependant on its own military resources. In a report to the government in 1866, Colonel
Freeling and Major
Peter Scratchley
recommended establishment of a permanent military force. In 1876 the South Australian government, along with those from New South Wales
, Victoria
and Queensland
requested from the War Office that Major General
Sir William Jervois
, a noted coastal fortification expert, be appointed to advise on defence needs. He arrived in Sydney in mid 1877 with then Lieutenant Colonel
Scratchley. The 1877 report
, delivered after he became South Australian Governor
, called for three batteries, at Largs Bay
, Semaphore and Glenelg, connected by a military road and supported by field gun emplacements, naval elements and mobile forces. He determined that South Australia's most probable defence risk was an attack by up to two ships rather than a larger force, and this formed the basis of the final fortification design. His report called for Military Road to be extended to Marino
, an electro-contact torpedo
station be established on Torrens Island
and that a gun boat be provided. In November 1878 the government passed the Military Forces Act, which provided for the raising of a permanent military force and reserve. Two volunteer reserve rifle companies
were formed in 1878 and a permanent artillery unit in 1882.
At this time Semaphore, with its jetty
built in 1860, was the state's main entry point for passengers and mail. It had a signal station (built 1872) and a time ball
tower (built 1875). Semaphore remained of great maritime significance for the state until the 1880s. When the decision was made to build the fort, in 1878, the state's population had reached approximately 250,000. Settlement extended beyond Port Augusta
, though Adelaide remained the dominant feature in the economy partly due to the layout of the rail network
. At this point Adelaide had a population of over 30,000. Port Adelaide
was the main port for South Australia, with over 1000 ships visiting each year, and a local population of over 2,500.
n. Scratchley had offered to design the battery, the offer accepted by Cabinet in January 1878, and he was primarily responsible for the design of both Fort Glanville and Fort Largs. The plans were drawn by Alexander Bain Moncrieff
of the South Australian Engineer-in-Chief's Department, supervised by Scratchley in his Melbourne headquarters. Moncrieff, at Scratchley's suggestion, was later to supervise the fort's construction. Plans for both batteries were completed in June 1878, tenders called for in July and the contract for Fort Glanville awarded in August to John Robb of Kapunda, South Australia for the sum of £15,893 12s 7d.
Construction began in 1878 and though completed by 1882 the fort was operational in 1880. Changes were made to the design during construction. Some forced by armament changes and others made to ensure additional security, including a rear-defence wall and connecting road from Military Road. By January 1880 two guns were in place and the fort opened later the same year with an extensive opening ceremony on 2 October. In addition to parades, a small target was moored 3500 yards (3,200 m) offshore and fired on by all guns. A total of sixteen shots were fired during which one of the ten inch guns proved faulty. Only one ranging shot was fired and the shots were estimated to land from on-target to 350 yards short. The fort's final cost was approximately £36,000 (A$7.05Currency converted using relative rate of 80.56383 between January 1882 and 2005 for the Pound Stirling from:
Converted to Australian Dollars at $1=£0.4112 from Australian Reserve Bank published spot rate for January 2005 million in 2005) consisting of £23,600 for physical structures and the remainder for armament and fittings. At the time of its construction it was at the forefront of such fortification design, and was considered state of the art
.
When first conceived, it was known as the Semaphore Battery, later changed to South Battery and then Fort Glanville by the opening ceremony. The name Glanville came from nearby Glanville Hall, residence of John Hart
(1809–1873) thrice Premier of South Australia
. Hart had named the house after his mother's maiden name (Mary Glanville).
For the eighteen months after its opening, the fort was manned by B company of the South Australian Volunteer Artillery but only on weekends. This changed in mid 1882 when South Australia's first permanent military force
was formed. The fort became the headquarters
for the South Australian Permanent Military Force, then the state's entire standing army of one officer and eighteen other ranks. Some of the unit was stationed at nearby Fort Largs from 1886; and, by 1889 the unit had grown to one officer and 45 other ranks. This force grew to 53 of all ranks by 1892 and was by then known as the Permanent Artillery. The unit trained 27 more non-commissioned officer
s and men who were sent to man the King George Sound
batteries near Albany, Western Australia
. Though some of the gunners served in the Second Boer War
, the unit itself never saw action. Fort Glanville's section was called out in 1890, marching to assist the police with a waterside worker's strike
in Port Adelaide. In this case no shots were fired and the strikers did not confront the police or troops. Additional defence acts were passed in 1886, 1890 and 1895 but, until defence passed into federal hands after 1901, the state's permanent military force was comprised solely of artillery. Shortly after the federation of Australia
, a regiment
of the Royal Australian Artillery
(RAA) was formed and what had been the Permanent Artillery became No.10 company RAA. The fort was manned to an extent during World War I
, with one non-commissioned officer and 11 gunners stationed as of November 1914. Military reports and orders show the fort manned to at least mid 1918, though at this point it is doubtful if the guns were fit to engage targets.
There is little in the way of surviving personnel records from the fort's active time. They may have either been destroyed or transferred to Melbourne after federation. The fort's record book shows it manned by a section of either the Royal Australian Artillery or B Company of the militia garrison artillery. For the time covered by the book, strength varied from 56 to 108 men of all ranks. Two figures who served at the fort are remembered for their impact outside its operation:
, rather than a defensive strongpoint. The faces of the fort join to form a half-moon shape or lunette
. The guns' primary role was to defend Port Adelaide and the Semaphore anchorage rather than the fort itself, and the design reflects this. It was intended to be supported by field artillery, cavalry
and infantry for self defence and to repel landings. While the fort retains its original form, the ditch
and glacis
(embankment) have been modified and are largely non-existent in some areas. Ground levels have been changed to accommodate paths and a caravan park, and the original western fence no longer exists.
The entrance road was constructed from Military Road to the fort's rear gates. Its path is largely followed by the modern Queen Elizabeth II walk, though the former road was slightly to the south. This walk links the conservation park's visitor centre to the fort gates; some of the old road can still be seen close to the gates. What was the muster ground is partly taken up by the caravan and camping park and a car park. It was levelled and filled in the 1950s for this use. What remains of this ground, north of the caravan park, was returned to its 1880s profile
in 1993 funded by a Federal Government
grant. In the 19th century, the muster ground was used for training of the Volunteer Military Force including artillery, who camped on the site. As designed the fort's rear was protected with a wooden palisade
or stockade. In 1881 a masonry
wall was added, greatly strengthening defence. Most of the stockade was reconstructed in the 1970s; some of the original wooden structure is visible in the fort's north.
with 1.5 m (5 ft) of concrete and 0.6 m (2 ft) of brick forming a retaining wall
for the earth fill
. The rampart is covered by natural vegetation and, in both the 19th and 21st century operation, is closed to access to preserve this. The glacis gives extra protection to the fort and was designed to blend the fort into the landscape. It surrounded the fort on the north, south and seaward sides and was made by forming the surrounding sandhill
s. The side facing the fort—the scarp
—is steep and, with the front face of the rampart, forms a 12 ft (3.7 m) wide ditch that can be raked by rifle fire from the caponier
or the stockade's sides. The outer face is a gentle slope and is designed to be covered by case shot fired from the fort's 64-pounder guns. The southern glacis section was removed during sand mining
and construction of the caravan park, both after World War II. The western glacis is changed, but still visible, and the northern glacis was recreated in 1993—showcasing the purpose of the glacis and the function of the caponier. Access to the fort is via double gates at the fort's rear, one each through the stockade and the rear defence wall. Both gates were removed or destroyed over time and the 21st century gates are reconstructions
. The formal parade ground or manning parade lies between the rear walls and barracks, and the raised terreplein
. It was formerly used for drill training, assembly and formal parades. First gravelled when constructed, it was paved with tar
in the 1890s to solve drainage problems. Around the seaward side of the manning parade runs the terreplein. It is a raised crescent shaped level on which the guns platforms sit, and is ascended from the manning parade by ramps and stairs.
After numerous proposals the sand hills rear and north of the fort were removed in 1882, improving the fort's land defence and allowing the 64-pounder guns to sweep the Semaphore jetty. This now levelled area was used as a bivouac
and exercise area
for the colony's volunteer troops. A stable
, office, shed and gunner's store were also erected north of the fort. The gunner's shed was damaged by fire in 1895 and replaced further eastward. These buildings did not survive into the 21st century.
for the adjacent guns, except for armour piercing shells
which were stored in the rear-defence wall's archways. Between the 64-pounders and the 10" gun positions are two raised observation
platforms set into the structure for gun commanders to spot the fall of outgoing shells. Ranging was either performed from here or from a ranging position set in the sand hills to the fort's north. Between the 10" guns is a T-shaped loading gallery that draws shells and gunpowder
via a hoist system from the magazine below. Either side of the gallery was installed the Armstrong mechanical loading systems for the 10" guns. These mechanical systems proved unsuccessful and were removed in the 1890s, though the southern one has been reconstructed. The magazine
is accessed from the manning parade and is directly beneath the 10" gun loading gallery. Voice pipes
and hoists originally installed have been removed but their remains are visible.
The caponier (rifle gallery) extends into the ditch between the rampart and glacis from the fort's north west corner. It is connected to the fort via a tunnel, running under the rampart from the manning parade. For blast protection
and defensibility the tunnel was built with a dogleg. The caponier has rifle firing ports and was originally protected from direct artillery fire by the glacis. Early plans showed the caponier extending from the fort's south west, and a tunnel linking the magazine and southern guns.
consists of two levels, with rifle firing holes on all sides. Iron shutters
closed on the inside and were locked with wooden beams. In 1885 the verandah
facing the manning parade was enclosed with wooden shutters to keep the weather out. These shutters were removed during 20th century restoration work and the verandah returned to original condition. The roof was at first flat timber overlaid by 12 inches (30 cm) of lime concrete
. This first roof leaked and an iron roof was added in 1885. The first floor of the barracks contains the officer's rooms and troop's barracks room. Its eastern (outer) wall is not flat, incorporating a design feature known as "hornwork", which opens the field of fire from the rifle holes. Some of the firing holes were bricked in during the 1930s; this has been only partly rectified during restoration.
The basement contains the gunner's mess, canteen
, No. 1 ancillary store, pantry
and officer's kitchen. The canteen sold everyday necessities as well as a few items like biscuits, sweets and tobacco to the stationed troops. Profits from the canteen were used to fund sporting equipment
for the garrison. The No.1 ancillary store was used for various pieces of delicate equipment, fuses
, friction tubes
and rockets. In 1887 an explosion
in the room caused a number of injuries, damage to the store and to the above officer's quarters. The barracks room and officer's quarters are connected with a door, probably added in the 1930s as it is not part of the original plans. The barracks room accommodated approximately 20 men. For display purposes it is outfitted as for similar period barracks.
A laboratory
is built into the rear wall, on the forts southern side. This room is set into the end of the rampart and was used to prepare gunpowder charges. A guardhouse
was built at the manning parade's southern end in 1885. It is now used as a duty room
for the drill squad during recreation demonstrations but originally was a guard's room and separate cells connected by telephone to Fort Largs. Up to three men appear to have been accommodated in the guard's room. When the fort was converted to use as a caravan park the guard house was converted to an ablution block
. A store and ablution block were also built in 1885 between the stockade and rear defence wall.
. They called for four 9 in (228.6 mm) 12 long tons (12 MT) rifled muzzle loading (RML) guns, two mounted in turret
s and two behind vertical iron shields. This configuration of siege artillery had not been tried before and the plan was abandoned due to the large expected cost. Two of the 9 in guns had been in South Australia since c.1868 after a Colonial Government request, but were not used in the eventual fort design. The final Jervois/Scratchley design omitted the turret and iron shields. 64-pounder RML guns were substituted for two of the 9 in guns and 10 in 20 ton RML guns for the remaining two. The 20 ton guns were chosen over the then standard 18 ton gun by Jervois after he saw the plans in England, the decision influenced by the then fully committed nature of the Royal Arsenal
. Jervois had originally ordered the 18 ton guns but cancelled the order and changed to the Armstrong 20 ton when the arsenal was unable fulfil the order. He also ordered Armstrong's mechanical loading and protected barbette system for the 20 ton guns. This original battery of four heavy guns remains in place at the fort.
and originally used the Armstrong protected barbette
loading system. They were made to the 1878 pattern and supplied on traversing slides. The guns have a 10 inches (254 mm) calibre, a range of 6500 yards (5,943.6 m) with a muzzle velocity of 1630 feet per second (497 m/s) and are capable of penetrating 11 inches (28 cm) of iron at 2000 yards (1,828.8 m).
They fire 400 pounds (181 kg) projectiles using a 130 pounds (59 kg) gunpowder cartridge. Though they were insufficient against contemporary battleship
s, they were seen as adequate for the light cruiser
s that the fort was expected to face. The carriages weighed 13 long tons (13 MT) and moved on semi-circular traverses. The guns were loaded either manually—using the Woolwich (derrick
) system—or via the Armstrong mechanical loader. The Armstrong system enabled loading of the guns from behind the protection of the rampart whereas the manual system required at least two crew to be exposed on the rampart's top. Despite this the guns were manually loaded for most of the their operational life as the Armstrong cable drive was faulty and too difficult to maintain. The guns had a 14-man crew and loading took about 2 minutes, a rate of fire that was only slightly faster using the Armstrong equipment.
By 1902 the guns had together fired 219 rounds, though not all at full charge with the records showing only 125 effective full charges. The platforms and traverses were scrapped in 1937 but the gun barrels were uneconomic to cut up and were left in place. One gun platform and its equipment was rebuilt in 1997 using money raised by Fort Glanville Historical Association volunteers working at the Australian Grand Prix
.
s, numbers 462 and 463. They are rifled muzzle loading heavy guns weighing 64 long hundredweights (3,251.4 kg) with a 6.3 inches (160 mm) calibre steel barrel. They were made to the model's 1867 pattern by the Royal Arsenal
, Woolwich
, England in 1872. Their intended use was to protect the flanks and approaches to the fort. These smaller guns use an 8 lb (4 kg) charge of gunpowder to send a 64 lb (29 kg) projectile up to 5000 yards (4,572 m). There are iron rings fixed in the rampart wall that indicate traversing gun carriages were intended to be mounted, though this never eventuated. The guns were supplied with siege
over-bank carriages. The lower carriage sections are the type made for the guns when used as field pieces and the upper sections are brackets that raise the guns to the over-bank firing position. In this particular configuration the two guns are thought to be the last in the world.
By the end of their active use in 1902 together they had fired 1540 rounds in practice, though not all at full power as they are recorded as firing under 300 effective full charges. By then the wheels were significantly rotted
and the ammunition limbers had become unserviceable. Less wheels, the guns were removed from the fort in 1909; Adelaide's city council
then set them in Brougham Gardens, North Adelaide
. Both were returned to the fort in 1976 and remounted on restored carriages of the original design. They are the only two guns of their type remaining in Australia. The southern gun (Number 463) fired three blank charges in 1980 to mark the centenary of the first firing at the fort. This same gun is fired regularly by the volunteers of the Fort Glanville Historical Association (FGHA).
Both types of heavy guns used where the only ones of their specific series and type to come to Australia. Though they were never fired in anger, the battery is only 40 feet (12 m) above mean sea level
which would have limited the accuracy of the mark III depression rangefinder
s used.
had been imported for use in small boats. This use was rejected by military authorities and the guns sat unused. In 1895 the South Australian Defence Committee proposed that the guns be mounted at Fort Glanville, replacing the 64-pounders whose siege carriages were then unfit for service. This proposal would have greatly extended the useful life of the fort, at little cost. The two military branches, army and navy, could not reach agreement and the proposal was abandoned by 1897. The gun's eventual fate is unknown, though a gun found in the Port River later indicates they may have been dumped.
Gun emplacements were made, about a mile apart south of the fort, for six 16-pounder field guns to provide close defence in case of an attempted beach landing. From 1890 the fort was equipped with moveable armament. It received an 1867 Whitworth
12-pounder RML field gun and a 5-barrel 0.45" Martini-henry
cartridge firing Nordenfelt gun
. The 12-pounder had fired 222 effective full charges by 1902; at which time both weapons were obsolete and their eventual fate is unknown. A 32-pounder 56 long cwt (2,844.9 kg) smoothbore
gun on a stepped wooden carriage was purchased in 1878. Manufactured by the Royal Arsenal in 1806, it was the familiar "ships cannon" and came to South Australia with two other identical guns. By 1902 no ammunition was held for it and it was listed as for instruction only. The gun was probably destroyed in the 1930s—certainly by the end of the 1940s— with pieces of such a gun found on site in 1983.
In the late 20th century the fort acquired three 16-pounder RML mark I field guns. They were formerly used by A battery, South Australian Volunteer Artillery from 1880 until 1901. Gun number 288 is complete and used for blank firings by the Historical Association. Also acquired is a 2-pounder RML Whitworth mountain gun
made in 1867. It was also used by A Battery, subsequently by Fort Largs as a signal gun. It is one of only two of this type known to exist, the other in the United Kingdom. The visitors centre has two 9-pounder brass smoothbore field guns made by H&C King in 1819. They arrived in South Australia in 1857 and were used for practice shoots near the fort c.1860; one is known to have been on the manning parade in 1890 though its use is unknown. They later became saluting guns at Fort Largs, moving by 1919 to near the Jervois Wing of the State Library of South Australia
. The Art Gallery of South Australia
saved them from a 1941 wartime scrap drive and mounted them on reproduction naval carriages in front of Government House
in 1962. The gallery took them back in late 1977 and transferred them to the History Trust of South Australia in 1988. The History Trust has loaned them to Fort Glanville for display. Outside the visitor's centre is a 6 in (152.4 mm) breech-loading Armstrong
80 long cwt (4,064.2 kg) gun (No.4242) that was made in 1884 and used in Victoria. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
(CSIRO) brought it to the state in 1966 for research, subsequently moving it to Perry Engineering at Mile End
. In 1984 the CSIRO donated the gun to the park.
in 1886 and that coupled with a report by General James Bevan Edwards
scuttled plans for the third coastal fort. As early as 1888 the emphasis for defence of the Adelaide coast had already shifted to Fort Largs; a fact cited as part of the reason for abandonment of the Glenelg fortifications.
From this point Fort Glanville's significance declined rapidly. Fort Largs was equipped in 1889 with two 6 inch breech-loading disappearing gun
s which outranged Glanville's armament. The decline was also linked to changes in Port Adelaide's maritime facilities and the consequent northward movement of anchored and berthed vessels. During the 1880s work had proceeded with deepening the Port River, enabling large ships to sail up and berth rather than the former practice of anchoring off-shore.
The fort remained as headquarters of South Australia's permanent military force until the 1890s and as late as 1895 there were still plans to upgrade the 64-pounder armament, though without result. By 1901 the fort was manned on a caretaker basis only and no permanent forces were stationed. The Federal Government assumed responsibility for South Australian defence in 1903 and took over the fort. Though Glanville by then had no significant defence role, the state received £14,739 in compensation
. From that point its significance was not defence related but as the first and best preserved 19th century fortification in South Australia.
it was partly revived for a former use, with ammunition stored on site. During the same period however the military used it as a detention
barracks. Some or all of the fort was leased
for private accommodation during the great depression
. During the 1930s the magazine was again used, this time to store small arms
ammunition. From June 1931 until the beginning of World War II the site housed a Sea Scout
detachment, and was used as a district camp-site for the Boy Scout
s. The Department of Defence
decided in 1937 that much of the equipment and fittings at the fort were surplus to requirements. Consequent to this the mountings and carriages for the 10 inch guns were removed and sold as scrap; though effort was made to scrap the barrels it proved uneconomic and they were left in place. In an unusual turn of events, the fort briefly housed refugees. Twenty-nine islanders from the Maldives
were rescued from their sinking dhow
by a ship bound for Wallaroo
. They stayed at the fort for a week in 1938, before repatriation could be arranged. During World War II
the fort again attracted military related use. During 1944 the Proof and Experimental Establishment at Port Wakefield
made use of the site to proof
ordnance QF 6 pounder
anti-tank guns manufactured at General Motors Holden
in Woodville
. The fort was also used as a residence again, with at least two families reported as living in the under-ground sections during the war.
After the war, the State Government negotiated with their federal counterpart to gain control of Fort Glanville. This eventuated in the 1951 sale of the 13 acres (5 ha) site, which was subsequently administered by the State Tourist Department as a caravan and camping park. The park occupied the muster ground outside the fort and the fort's barracks building was used as a manager's residence. The caravan park has had various managers since establishment: Until 1981 it was managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service
, by Woodville Council until 1986 and subsequently by a private operator under a long-term lease.
A significant change in the fort's conservation and preservation outlook was its declaration as a Historic Relic under the Aboriginal and Historic Relics Preservation Act in 1972. Up to then there had been growing awareness of the significance of the site in terms of the state's colonial heritage. Control of the park was moved to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), and the fort and surrounds became designated as Fort Glanville Conservation Park. The National Estate
Grants Program provided funds in 1975 for conservation work; NPWS began this work in the same year and the caravan park boundary was moved southwards. Though the site had long been neglected, there was minimal permanent damage to its structure. During the 1970s reconstruction, much of the stockade was replaced. The replaced timbers are visibly different as they have shrunk
significantly with large gaps that are not evident in the original timber. Adelaide City Council agreed to return the 64-pounder guns and new wheels were made; replacing those rotted over half a century before. In a ceremony on 2 October 1980, the 100th anniversary of the guns first firing, one of the 64-pounders was fired again; later a commemoration plaque
was added to the fort's flagpole's base. Shortly after this firing the Fort Glanville Historical Association was formed, and was incorporated in 1981. Fort Glanville was opened for public visitation in 1981.
As part of South Australia's sesquicentenary
, the South Australia Jubilee 150 board granted $250,000 for work on the fort, allowing construction of a visitor centre. Queen Elizabeth II visited and inspected the site, and newly constructed visitor centre, for almost an hour on 13 March 1986. For the visit the historical association demonstrated firing of both the 64 and 2 pounder cannons. The visitor centre was officially opened one month after this visit. Governor Dame Roma Mitchell
named the old road "Queen Elizabeth II Walk" in March 1991 ceremony, commemorating the 5th anniversary of the queen's visit. Considerable subsequent restoration work has been completed on the fort, including the barrack's interior. The portion of the muster ground that is not within the caravan park was returned to its original level in 1993.
academy. The fort retains its original armament; armament that is both rare in Australia and worldwide.
The conservation park is in the suburb of Semaphore South
and incorporates the fort and surrounding area. It covers approximately 5 hectares (12 acre), bounded by Bower and Military roads, Point Malcolm Reserve and Semaphore beach. The land is entirely crown land
and is administered by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). It is divided into roughly two halves, the northern contains the fort and the southern a caravan park. While it is managed by the NPWS, the Fort Glanville Consultative Committee and Fort Glanville Historical Association are heavily involved. The committee is appointed by the Minister for Environment and Planning and acts to advise the Minister and liaise with the community. As of 1988, the fort hosted approximately 7,000 visitors annually, and is used as an event venue including the annual City of Charles Sturt
citizenship ceremony.
The historical association is an incorporated body of volunteers who use the fort under licence from the Minister. The operate the fort and visitor centre, holding monthly public open days at which the history of the fort is recreated; this includes drill demonstrations and firing of the fort's weapons. They maintain static displays of the fort's active period and sell souvenir
s. The associations goal is to have the site open as a fully operational fort for interpretation, tourism and education. The volunteers are involved with recreation, living history and ceremonial work outside the fort. They act as guards of honour
at some Government House
functions and attended the restoration opening of the Albany, Western Australia
fort, and the annual re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo
in Keyneton, Victoria. The fort has living history
displays, including the barracks laid out and furnished in period detail. The visitor centre has displays showing the development of South Australia's colonial defence from 1836 and artifacts found on site during restorations. Connecting the fort to Semaphore jetty is the Semaphore and Fort Glanville Tourist Railway, a 457 mm (18 in) gauge steam train operated by volunteers from the National Railway Museum
. The railway opened in 1991 and, as of 2002, carried over 16,000 passengers annually.
Semaphore South, South Australia
Semaphore South is a beachside suburb of Adelaide, in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield.Semaphore South Post Office opened on 3 November 1947 and closed in 1978.-References:...
, a seaside suburb of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, that incorporates a functional 19th century fort. The fort was built after more than 40 years of indecision over the defence of South Australia. It was the first colonial fortification in the state and is the best preserved and most functional in Australia. Fort Glanville was designed by Governor Major General Sir William Jervois
William Jervois
Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, GCMG, CB was a British military engineer who saw service, as Second Captain, in South Africa...
and Lieutenant Colonel Peter Scratchley
Peter Scratchley
Sir Peter Henry Scratchley K.C.M.G. was special commissioner for Great Britain in New Guinea 1884-1885 and defence adviser for Australia....
, both important figures in early Australian colonial defence. When built it was designed to defend both Semaphore's
Semaphore, South Australia
Semaphore is a north-western seaside suburb of Adelaide of the LeFevre Peninsula 14km from the CBD, in the state of South Australia, Australia and falls under the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is adjacent to Semaphore South, Glanville, Exeter and Largs Bay. The postcode for Semaphore is 5019...
anchorage and shipping entering the Port River
Port River
The Port River is the western branch of the largest tidal estuary on the eastern side of Gulf St Vincent. It extends inland through the historic Inner Harbour of Port Adelaide, to the constructed salt-water West Lakes in the north-western suburbs of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia...
from naval attack.
Construction of the fort began in 1878. It was officially opened in October 1880 and completed by 1882. Due to changes in the Port River and shipping movements, Fort Largs surpassed it for strategic importance by 1890. By the close of the 19th century, the fort was largely unused and had no defence significance. It was briefly used for military purposes during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, though not for its original defensive role. For much of the 20th century the area was put to a variety of uses including accommodation, a caravan park and a boy scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
campsite. After coming into state government hands in 1951 it was declared as a conservation park and is now managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service
National Parks and Wildlife Service (South Australia)
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is part of the Department for Environment and Heritage - the main government conservation agency in South Australia, Australia....
; preserving and showcasing its historic value. The fort and surrounds occupy the northern half of the 5 hectares (12.4 acre) conservation park, the southern half is a caravan park. The fort is a lunette
Lunette
In architecture, a lunette is a half-moon shaped space, either filled with recessed masonry or void. A lunette is formed when a horizontal cornice transects a round-headed arch at the level of the imposts, where the arch springs. If a door is set within a round-headed arch, the space within the...
shaped defensible battery that was supported by land forces for self-defence. When constructed it was seen as state of the art
State of the art
The state of the art is the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field, achieved at a particular time. It also refers to the level of development reached at any particular time as a result of the latest methodologies employed.- Origin :The earliest use of the term...
, incorporating powerful and modern weapons. Its main armament is two rifled muzzle-loading (RML) 10 inch 20 ton guns backed up by two RML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun
RML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun
The RML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun was a Rifled, Muzzle Loading naval, field or fortification artillery gun manufactured in England in the 19th century, which fired a projectile weighing approximately...
s, both rare in their particular configuration. The fort retains its original 19th century cannons and three have been restored to working condition.
Fort Glanville Historical Association operates the park under license and conducts open days in the park, recreating the past operation of the fort including military drill and the firing of period weapons. The Association, park service, other volunteers and various grants have all helped ensure the fort is presented in close to original condition. It is the most complete 19th Century fort in Australia, and one of very few in the world that remains in original condition. Connecting the fort to Semaphore jetty is the Semaphore and Fort Glanville Tourist Railway, a 457 mm (18 in) gauge passenger steam train operated by volunteers from the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum (Port Adelaide)
thumb|Conference dinner being held in the rollingstock pavilionThe National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide, South Australia, is the current site of the Port Dock Station Railway Museum's vast Australian Railway Collection.- History :...
.
Historic background
In the early years of colonial South AustraliaHistory of South Australia
The history of South Australia refers to the history of the Australian State of South Australia and its preceding Indigenous and British colonial societies. Aboriginal Australians have lived in South Australia for tens of thousands of years, while British colonists arrived in the 19th century to...
, the colonists saw themselves as part of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and external defence as an Imperial responsibility. Communication lines were long and the empire's wars remote. Great Britain had undisputed military predominance and she was expected by all to protect her colonies, even one as distant. For local defence, Governor
Governors of South Australia
The Governor of South Australia is the representative in the Australian state of South Australia of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level.In...
Gawler
George Gawler
-External links: – Memorials and Monuments in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK...
raised the first military force in 1840, comprised solely of volunteers and known as the South Australian Volunteer Militia Brigade. It was granted the "Royal" title in 1841 but the brigade had all but ceased to exist a year later. The colony obtained its first artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
in 1847 with the arrival of six field gun
Field gun
A field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
s of various types.
Tensions between Britain and the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in the 1850s, as starkly demonstrated by the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, along with Australia-wide moves towards self-government caused a reassessment of the colony's defence posture. The various colonies regarded themselves as possible targets for the Russian Pacific Fleet, then based in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. In 1854, Governor Henry Young
Henry Young
Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, KCMG was the fifth Governor of South Australia, serving in that role from 2 August 1848 until 20 December 1854. He was then the first Governor of Tasmania, from 1855 until 1861.-Early life:...
appointed a commission under Boyle Finniss
Boyle Finniss
Boyle Travers Finniss was the first Premier of the Colony of South Australia, serving from 24 October 1856 to 20 August 1857.-Early life:...
to report on the defence of the colony, in case of war. Boyle's report recommended leaving strategic defence in the hands of the Imperial Navy, though South Australia was to purchase a 400 ton naval vessel. Local defence was to be largely handled by the existing small Imperial garrison and local colonial force, supported by the artillery obtained in 1847. When the Crimean War ended in 1856, the danger passed and the perceived need for expensive defence preparations with it. For many years nothing substantive came about from debate on defence of the colony. Over time there formed a consensus favouring Semaphore
Semaphore, South Australia
Semaphore is a north-western seaside suburb of Adelaide of the LeFevre Peninsula 14km from the CBD, in the state of South Australia, Australia and falls under the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is adjacent to Semaphore South, Glanville, Exeter and Largs Bay. The postcode for Semaphore is 5019...
for fixed defences or fortification; a strategy also argued by the government established Hart Commission in 1858. Raiders
Raid (military)
Raid, also known as depredation, is a military tactic or operational warfare mission which has a specific purpose and is not normally intended to capture and hold terrain, but instead finish with the raiding force quickly retreating to a previous defended position prior to the enemy forces being...
were seen as unlikely to force the shallows of the Port River
Port River
The Port River is the western branch of the largest tidal estuary on the eastern side of Gulf St Vincent. It extends inland through the historic Inner Harbour of Port Adelaide, to the constructed salt-water West Lakes in the north-western suburbs of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia...
but instead were expected to stand off Semaphore, shell the port and use their guns to support landings
Landing operation
A landing operation is a military action aimed at a bringing the landing force usually via landing craft to a shore or to land with the purpose of power projection ashore by forces coming usually from ships and also aircraft and able to fight....
. The Hart Report recommended building of martello tower
Martello tower
Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....
s at Semaphore and Glenelg
Glenelg, South Australia
Glenelg is a popular beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, it has become a popular tourist destination due to its beach and many attractions, home to several hotels and dozens of restaurants.Established in 1836, it is...
, the first report to recommend permanent fortification at Semaphore, though none were built mainly due to the cost.
The volunteer military force was revived in 1859, with new and modern arms for the infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and artillery. Though there was a few years of enthusiasm and a restructuring in 1866, by 1870 the force was virtually disbanded. In that year also, British troops were withdrawn from the other Australian colonies; none were by then stationed in South Australia. With no definitive defence policy, in 1864 the government had sought advice from Captain Parkin of HMS Falcon
HMS Falcon (1854)
HMS Falcon was a 17-gun Royal Navy Cruizer-class sloop launched in 1854. She served in the Baltic during the Crimean War and then in North America, West Africa and Australia...
and Commodore Sir William Wiseman commander of the Australian station; both visiting British naval officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
. They both recommended fixed fortifications for the coast supported by gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
s. Sir Wiseman's report particularly recommended construction of forts at Semaphore, Port Creek's entrance and one midway between. In 1864 a story circulated, supported by press speculation, that there was a danger of the Russian fleet attacking Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
should Russia and Britain find themselves at war. The South Australian Register
South Australian Register
The Register, originally the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, was the first South Australian newspaper. It was first published in London in June 1836 and folded almost a century later in February 1931....
produced an editorial decrying the states lack of defences. Within days £20,000
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
(A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
4.14 million in 2005)Currency converted using relative rate of 85.08989 between January 1864 and 2005 for the Pound Stirling from:
Converted to Australian Dollars at $1=£0.4112 from Australian Reserve Bank published spot rate for January 2005 was provided by the government for defence, an amount then seen as insufficient for significant preparation. The danger passed without any lasting defence action except the government's in-principle adoption of Sir Wiseman's recommendations. To curtail costs only the Semaphore fort was to be built initially, as it was considered the most critical. Site preparation begun and two 9 inches (228.6 mm) guns were purchased, but escalating cost estimates caused the plan to be abandoned by 1868.
During the early 1870s South Australia's defence was solely dependant on the volunteer military, and a few artillery pieces purchased during earlier war scares. British troops had been withdrawn from the Australian colonies in 1870, leaving the state dependant on its own military resources. In a report to the government in 1866, Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Freeling and Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Peter Scratchley
Peter Scratchley
Sir Peter Henry Scratchley K.C.M.G. was special commissioner for Great Britain in New Guinea 1884-1885 and defence adviser for Australia....
recommended establishment of a permanent military force. In 1876 the South Australian government, along with those from New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
requested from the War Office that Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Sir William Jervois
William Jervois
Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, GCMG, CB was a British military engineer who saw service, as Second Captain, in South Africa...
, a noted coastal fortification expert, be appointed to advise on defence needs. He arrived in Sydney in mid 1877 with then Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Scratchley. The 1877 report
Jervois-Scratchley reports
The Jervois-Scratchley reports of 1877 concerned the defences of the Australian colonies, and influenced defence policy into the twentieth century. From the time of the first settlement in Australia, the Royal Marines, the New South Wales Corps and a succession of regiments of the British army had...
, delivered after he became South Australian Governor
Governors of South Australia
The Governor of South Australia is the representative in the Australian state of South Australia of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level.In...
, called for three batteries, at Largs Bay
Largs Bay, South Australia
Largs Bay is a north-western suburb of Adelaide 16km from the CBD, on the LeFevre Peninsula, in the state of South Australia, Australia and falls under the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is adjacent to Largs North and Semaphore, Exeter and Peterhead. The post code for Largs Bay is 5016...
, Semaphore and Glenelg, connected by a military road and supported by field gun emplacements, naval elements and mobile forces. He determined that South Australia's most probable defence risk was an attack by up to two ships rather than a larger force, and this formed the basis of the final fortification design. His report called for Military Road to be extended to Marino
Marino, South Australia
Marino is a suburb in the south of Adelaide, South Australia. It sits on coastal hills overlooking Gulf St Vincent, within the City of Marion Local Government Area. It neighbours Seacliff, Hallett Cove and Kingston Park....
, an electro-contact torpedo
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
station be established on Torrens Island
Torrens Island
Torrens Island is located in the Port River Estuary between the Lefevre Peninsula and Barker Inlet, about 15 km northwest of the Adelaide city centre in South Australia...
and that a gun boat be provided. In November 1878 the government passed the Military Forces Act, which provided for the raising of a permanent military force and reserve. Two volunteer reserve rifle companies
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
were formed in 1878 and a permanent artillery unit in 1882.
At this time Semaphore, with its jetty
Jetty
A jetty is any of a variety of structures used in river, dock, and maritime works that are generally carried out in pairs from river banks, or in continuation of river channels at their outlets into deep water; or out into docks, and outside their entrances; or for forming basins along the...
built in 1860, was the state's main entry point for passengers and mail. It had a signal station (built 1872) and a time ball
Time ball
A time ball is a large painted wooden or metal ball that drops at a predetermined time, principally to enable sailors to check their marine chronometers from their boats offshore...
tower (built 1875). Semaphore remained of great maritime significance for the state until the 1880s. When the decision was made to build the fort, in 1878, the state's population had reached approximately 250,000. Settlement extended beyond Port Augusta
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
, though Adelaide remained the dominant feature in the economy partly due to the layout of the rail network
Rail transport in South Australia
The first railway in colonial South Australia was a horse-drawn tramway from the port of Goolwa on the Murray River to an ocean harbour at Port Elliot in 1854...
. At this point Adelaide had a population of over 30,000. Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a suburb of Adelaide lying about 14 kilometres northwest of the City of Adelaide. It lies within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and is the main port for the city of Adelaide...
was the main port for South Australia, with over 1000 ships visiting each year, and a local population of over 2,500.
Foundation
Scratchley had inspected the proposed South Australian fort sites, and Jervois and Scratchley were both responsible for the final fort design and location. The first fort was erected to guard both the entrance to Port Adelaide and the anchorage at Semaphore. It was built on sandhills near Glanville Hall at Semaphore, on a promontory called "Point Malcom"—a name that is now used for an adjacent reserve. The site was chosen so as to best guard shipping sailing to both the Port River and the Outer Harbour; and a second northern fort was to protect the entrance to Port River itself. At the time of its construction it was seen as a defence against foreign threats, mainly RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n. Scratchley had offered to design the battery, the offer accepted by Cabinet in January 1878, and he was primarily responsible for the design of both Fort Glanville and Fort Largs. The plans were drawn by Alexander Bain Moncrieff
Alexander Bain Moncrieff
Alexander Bain Moncrieff CMG was an Irish-born engineer, active in Australia.Moncrieff was the son of Alexander Rutherford Moncrieff, and was born at Dublin, Ireland. His family was of Scottish ancestry. He was educated principally at the Belfast Academy, and at 15 was articled to C. Miller,...
of the South Australian Engineer-in-Chief's Department, supervised by Scratchley in his Melbourne headquarters. Moncrieff, at Scratchley's suggestion, was later to supervise the fort's construction. Plans for both batteries were completed in June 1878, tenders called for in July and the contract for Fort Glanville awarded in August to John Robb of Kapunda, South Australia for the sum of £15,893 12s 7d.
Construction began in 1878 and though completed by 1882 the fort was operational in 1880. Changes were made to the design during construction. Some forced by armament changes and others made to ensure additional security, including a rear-defence wall and connecting road from Military Road. By January 1880 two guns were in place and the fort opened later the same year with an extensive opening ceremony on 2 October. In addition to parades, a small target was moored 3500 yards (3,200 m) offshore and fired on by all guns. A total of sixteen shots were fired during which one of the ten inch guns proved faulty. Only one ranging shot was fired and the shots were estimated to land from on-target to 350 yards short. The fort's final cost was approximately £36,000 (A$7.05Currency converted using relative rate of 80.56383 between January 1882 and 2005 for the Pound Stirling from:
Converted to Australian Dollars at $1=£0.4112 from Australian Reserve Bank published spot rate for January 2005 million in 2005) consisting of £23,600 for physical structures and the remainder for armament and fittings. At the time of its construction it was at the forefront of such fortification design, and was considered state of the art
State of the art
The state of the art is the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field, achieved at a particular time. It also refers to the level of development reached at any particular time as a result of the latest methodologies employed.- Origin :The earliest use of the term...
.
When first conceived, it was known as the Semaphore Battery, later changed to South Battery and then Fort Glanville by the opening ceremony. The name Glanville came from nearby Glanville Hall, residence of John Hart
John Hart, senior
Captain John Hart was a South Australian politician and a Premier of South Australia.-Early life:The son of journalist/newspaper publisher John Harriott Hart & Mary nee Glanville, John was born on 25 February 1809 probably at 23 Warwick Lane off Newgate Street, London. At Christ Church, Greyfriars...
(1809–1873) thrice Premier of South Australia
Premiers of South Australia
Before the 1890s when there was no formal party system in South Australia, MPs tended to have historical liberal or conservative beliefs. The liberals dominated government from 1893 to 1905 with Labor support, with the conservatives mostly in opposition. Labor took government with the support of...
. Hart had named the house after his mother's maiden name (Mary Glanville).
Personnel
Standing army
A standing army is a professional permanent army. It is composed of full-time career soldiers and is not disbanded during times of peace. It differs from army reserves, who are activated only during wars or natural disasters...
was formed. The fort became the headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
for the South Australian Permanent Military Force, then the state's entire standing army of one officer and eighteen other ranks. Some of the unit was stationed at nearby Fort Largs from 1886; and, by 1889 the unit had grown to one officer and 45 other ranks. This force grew to 53 of all ranks by 1892 and was by then known as the Permanent Artillery. The unit trained 27 more non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s and men who were sent to man the King George Sound
King George Sound
King George Sound is the name of a sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Located at , it is the site of the city of Albany.The sound covers an area of and varies in depth from to ....
batteries near Albany, Western Australia
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
. Though some of the gunners served in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, the unit itself never saw action. Fort Glanville's section was called out in 1890, marching to assist the police with a waterside worker's strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in Port Adelaide. In this case no shots were fired and the strikers did not confront the police or troops. Additional defence acts were passed in 1886, 1890 and 1895 but, until defence passed into federal hands after 1901, the state's permanent military force was comprised solely of artillery. Shortly after the federation of Australia
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
, a regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the Royal Australian Artillery
Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, normally referred to as the Royal Australian Artillery , is a corps of the Australian Army descended from the original colonial artillery units prior to Australia's federation...
(RAA) was formed and what had been the Permanent Artillery became No.10 company RAA. The fort was manned to an extent during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, with one non-commissioned officer and 11 gunners stationed as of November 1914. Military reports and orders show the fort manned to at least mid 1918, though at this point it is doubtful if the guns were fit to engage targets.
There is little in the way of surviving personnel records from the fort's active time. They may have either been destroyed or transferred to Melbourne after federation. The fort's record book shows it manned by a section of either the Royal Australian Artillery or B Company of the militia garrison artillery. For the time covered by the book, strength varied from 56 to 108 men of all ranks. Two figures who served at the fort are remembered for their impact outside its operation:
- Battery Sergeant Major Charles Moritz, who initially joined the volunteer artillery and was the Permanent Artillery's first recruit.
- Joseph Maria GordonJoseph Maria GordonMajor General Joseph Maria Gordon CB , was an officer in the British Army, later holding the position of Commandant of the South Australian Military Forces and serving in the Second Boer War in South Africa...
(1856–1929), the fort's first commander and later military commandant for South Australia. Gordon retired in 1914 as Chief of the General Staff, Australian Military Forces.
Structure
The fort is designed as a defensible batteryArtillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
, rather than a defensive strongpoint. The faces of the fort join to form a half-moon shape or lunette
Lunette
In architecture, a lunette is a half-moon shaped space, either filled with recessed masonry or void. A lunette is formed when a horizontal cornice transects a round-headed arch at the level of the imposts, where the arch springs. If a door is set within a round-headed arch, the space within the...
. The guns' primary role was to defend Port Adelaide and the Semaphore anchorage rather than the fort itself, and the design reflects this. It was intended to be supported by field artillery, cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and infantry for self defence and to repel landings. While the fort retains its original form, the ditch
Ditch (fortification)
A ditch in military engineering is an obstacle, designed to slow down or break up an attacking force, while a trench is intended to provide cover to the defenders...
and glacis
Glacis
A glacis in military engineering is an artificial slope of earth used in late European fortresses so constructed as to keep any potential assailant under the fire of the defenders until the last possible moment...
(embankment) have been modified and are largely non-existent in some areas. Ground levels have been changed to accommodate paths and a caravan park, and the original western fence no longer exists.
The entrance road was constructed from Military Road to the fort's rear gates. Its path is largely followed by the modern Queen Elizabeth II walk, though the former road was slightly to the south. This walk links the conservation park's visitor centre to the fort gates; some of the old road can still be seen close to the gates. What was the muster ground is partly taken up by the caravan and camping park and a car park. It was levelled and filled in the 1950s for this use. What remains of this ground, north of the caravan park, was returned to its 1880s profile
Profile (engineering)
In standardization, a profile consists of an agreed-upon subset and interpretation of a specification. Many complex technical specifications have many optional features, such that two conforming implementations may not inter-operate due to choosing different sets of optional features to support...
in 1993 funded by a Federal Government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
grant. In the 19th century, the muster ground was used for training of the Volunteer Military Force including artillery, who camped on the site. As designed the fort's rear was protected with a wooden palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
or stockade. In 1881 a masonry
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
wall was added, greatly strengthening defence. Most of the stockade was reconstructed in the 1970s; some of the original wooden structure is visible in the fort's north.
Fortification
The main defensive structure is a revetted lunette shaped earthwork. It has a 15 metres (49 ft) thick rampartDefensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
with 1.5 m (5 ft) of concrete and 0.6 m (2 ft) of brick forming a retaining wall
Retaining wall
Retaining walls are built in order to hold back earth which would otherwise move downwards. Their purpose is to stabilize slopes and provide useful areas at different elevations, e.g...
for the earth fill
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
. The rampart is covered by natural vegetation and, in both the 19th and 21st century operation, is closed to access to preserve this. The glacis gives extra protection to the fort and was designed to blend the fort into the landscape. It surrounded the fort on the north, south and seaward sides and was made by forming the surrounding sandhill
Sandhill
A sandhill is a type of ecological community or xeric wildfire-maintained ecosystem. It is not the same as a sand dune. It features very short fire return intervals, one to five years. Without fire, sandhills undergo ecological succession and become more oak dominated.Entisols are the typical...
s. The side facing the fort—the scarp
Counterscarp
A scarp and a counterscarp are the inner and outer sides of a ditch used in fortifications. In permanent fortifications the scarp and counterscarp may be encased in stone...
—is steep and, with the front face of the rampart, forms a 12 ft (3.7 m) wide ditch that can be raked by rifle fire from the caponier
Caponier
A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" - which strictly means capon-cote i.e. chickenhouse.The fire coming from the feature A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" -...
or the stockade's sides. The outer face is a gentle slope and is designed to be covered by case shot fired from the fort's 64-pounder guns. The southern glacis section was removed during sand mining
Sand mining
Sand mining is a practice that is becoming an environmental issue as the demand for sand increases in industry and construction. Sand is mined from beaches and inland dunes and dredged from ocean beds and river beds. It is often used in manufacturing as an abrasive, for example, and it is used to...
and construction of the caravan park, both after World War II. The western glacis is changed, but still visible, and the northern glacis was recreated in 1993—showcasing the purpose of the glacis and the function of the caponier. Access to the fort is via double gates at the fort's rear, one each through the stockade and the rear defence wall. Both gates were removed or destroyed over time and the 21st century gates are reconstructions
Reconstruction (architecture)
Reconstruction is a term in architectural conservation whose precise meaning varies, depending on the context in which they are used.More broadly, such as under the Burra Charter of Australia, "reconstruction" means returning a damaged building to a known earlier state by the introduction of new...
. The formal parade ground or manning parade lies between the rear walls and barracks, and the raised terreplein
Terreplein
Terreplein, or terre-plein — in fortifications is the top, platform, or horizontal surface, of a rampart, on which cannon are placed. In Martello towers, the roof or terreplein was sometimes surmounted with one or two cannon on a gun platform with a central pivot that enabled the guns to rotate up...
. It was formerly used for drill training, assembly and formal parades. First gravelled when constructed, it was paved with tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
in the 1890s to solve drainage problems. Around the seaward side of the manning parade runs the terreplein. It is a raised crescent shaped level on which the guns platforms sit, and is ascended from the manning parade by ramps and stairs.
After numerous proposals the sand hills rear and north of the fort were removed in 1882, improving the fort's land defence and allowing the 64-pounder guns to sweep the Semaphore jetty. This now levelled area was used as a bivouac
Bivouac shelter
A bivouac traditionally refers to a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire or such a site where a camp may be built. It is also commonly used to describe a variety of improvised camp sites such as those used in scouting and...
and exercise area
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
for the colony's volunteer troops. A stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
, office, shed and gunner's store were also erected north of the fort. The gunner's shed was damaged by fire in 1895 and replaced further eastward. These buildings did not survive into the 21st century.
Internal rooms
On either side of the terreplein, wide of the 64-pound guns, are two small rooms known as the expense stores. They were used for ready-to-use ammunitionAmmunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
for the adjacent guns, except for armour piercing shells
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
which were stored in the rear-defence wall's archways. Between the 64-pounders and the 10" gun positions are two raised observation
Artillery observer
A military artillery observer or spotter is responsible for directing artillery fire and close air support onto enemy positions. Because artillery is an indirect fire weapon system, the guns are rarely in line-of-sight of their target, often located tens of miles away...
platforms set into the structure for gun commanders to spot the fall of outgoing shells. Ranging was either performed from here or from a ranging position set in the sand hills to the fort's north. Between the 10" guns is a T-shaped loading gallery that draws shells and gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
via a hoist system from the magazine below. Either side of the gallery was installed the Armstrong mechanical loading systems for the 10" guns. These mechanical systems proved unsuccessful and were removed in the 1890s, though the southern one has been reconstructed. The magazine
Magazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
is accessed from the manning parade and is directly beneath the 10" gun loading gallery. Voice pipes
Speaking tube
A speaking tube or voicepipe is a device based on two cones connected by an air pipe through which speech can be transmitted over an extended distance. While its most common use was in intra-ship communications, the principle was also used in fine homes and offices of the 19th century, as well as...
and hoists originally installed have been removed but their remains are visible.
The caponier (rifle gallery) extends into the ditch between the rampart and glacis from the fort's north west corner. It is connected to the fort via a tunnel, running under the rampart from the manning parade. For blast protection
Explosion protection
Explosion protection is used to protect all sorts of buildings and civil engineering infrastructure against internal and external explosions or deflagrations. It was widely believed until recently that a building subject to an explosive attack had a chance to remain standing only if it possessed...
and defensibility the tunnel was built with a dogleg. The caponier has rifle firing ports and was originally protected from direct artillery fire by the glacis. Early plans showed the caponier extending from the fort's south west, and a tunnel linking the magazine and southern guns.
Buildings
The barracksBarracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
consists of two levels, with rifle firing holes on all sides. Iron shutters
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
closed on the inside and were locked with wooden beams. In 1885 the verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
facing the manning parade was enclosed with wooden shutters to keep the weather out. These shutters were removed during 20th century restoration work and the verandah returned to original condition. The roof was at first flat timber overlaid by 12 inches (30 cm) of lime concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
. This first roof leaked and an iron roof was added in 1885. The first floor of the barracks contains the officer's rooms and troop's barracks room. Its eastern (outer) wall is not flat, incorporating a design feature known as "hornwork", which opens the field of fire from the rifle holes. Some of the firing holes were bricked in during the 1930s; this has been only partly rectified during restoration.
The basement contains the gunner's mess, canteen
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
, No. 1 ancillary store, pantry
Pantry
A pantry is a room where food, provisions or dishes are stored and served in an ancillary capacity to the kitchen. The derivation of the word is from the same source as the Old French term paneterie; that is from pain, the French form of the Latin panis for bread.In a late medieval hall, there were...
and officer's kitchen. The canteen sold everyday necessities as well as a few items like biscuits, sweets and tobacco to the stationed troops. Profits from the canteen were used to fund sporting equipment
Sports equipment
Sports equipment is a general term for any object used for sport or exercise. Examples of sports equipment include:-Exercise equipment:Examples for exercise include swiss balls, weights, equipment for the gym...
for the garrison. The No.1 ancillary store was used for various pieces of delicate equipment, fuses
Fuse (explosives)
In an explosive, pyrotechnic device or military munition, a fuse is the part of the device that initiates function. In common usage, the word fuse is used indiscriminately...
, friction tubes
Tubes and primers for ammunition
Tubes and primers are used to ignite the propellant in projectile weapons.In ancient times various devices were adopted to ignite the charge. Small guns were fired by priming powder poured down the touch hole and ignited by glowing embers or a red-hot iron rod. Later the priming powder was...
and rockets. In 1887 an explosion
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
in the room caused a number of injuries, damage to the store and to the above officer's quarters. The barracks room and officer's quarters are connected with a door, probably added in the 1930s as it is not part of the original plans. The barracks room accommodated approximately 20 men. For display purposes it is outfitted as for similar period barracks.
A laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
is built into the rear wall, on the forts southern side. This room is set into the end of the rampart and was used to prepare gunpowder charges. A guardhouse
Guardhouse
A guardhouse is a building used to house personnel and security equipment...
was built at the manning parade's southern end in 1885. It is now used as a duty room
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
for the drill squad during recreation demonstrations but originally was a guard's room and separate cells connected by telephone to Fort Largs. Up to three men appear to have been accommodated in the guard's room. When the fort was converted to use as a caravan park the guard house was converted to an ablution block
Washing
Washing is one way of cleaning, namely with water and often some kind of soap or detergent. Washing is an essential part of good hygiene and health....
. A store and ablution block were also built in 1885 between the stockade and rear defence wall.
Armament
Early plans for the fort's armament were drawn up by Harding Stewart of the British War OfficeWar Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
. They called for four 9 in (228.6 mm) 12 long tons (12 MT) rifled muzzle loading (RML) guns, two mounted in turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s and two behind vertical iron shields. This configuration of siege artillery had not been tried before and the plan was abandoned due to the large expected cost. Two of the 9 in guns had been in South Australia since c.1868 after a Colonial Government request, but were not used in the eventual fort design. The final Jervois/Scratchley design omitted the turret and iron shields. 64-pounder RML guns were substituted for two of the 9 in guns and 10 in 20 ton RML guns for the remaining two. The 20 ton guns were chosen over the then standard 18 ton gun by Jervois after he saw the plans in England, the decision influenced by the then fully committed nature of the Royal Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
. Jervois had originally ordered the 18 ton guns but cancelled the order and changed to the Armstrong 20 ton when the arsenal was unable fulfil the order. He also ordered Armstrong's mechanical loading and protected barbette system for the 20 ton guns. This original battery of four heavy guns remains in place at the fort.
10 inch RML guns
The fort's main armament were the two RML 10 inch 20 ton guns—Numbers 3470 and 3472. They were manufactured in 1879 by WG Armstrong and CompanyArmstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
and originally used the Armstrong protected barbette
Barbette
A barbette is a protective circular armour feature around a cannon or heavy artillery gun. The name comes from the French phrase en barbette referring to the practice of firing a field gun over a parapet rather than through an opening . The former gives better angles of fire but less protection...
loading system. They were made to the 1878 pattern and supplied on traversing slides. The guns have a 10 inches (254 mm) calibre, a range of 6500 yards (5,943.6 m) with a muzzle velocity of 1630 feet per second (497 m/s) and are capable of penetrating 11 inches (28 cm) of iron at 2000 yards (1,828.8 m).
They fire 400 pounds (181 kg) projectiles using a 130 pounds (59 kg) gunpowder cartridge. Though they were insufficient against contemporary battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s, they were seen as adequate for the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s that the fort was expected to face. The carriages weighed 13 long tons (13 MT) and moved on semi-circular traverses. The guns were loaded either manually—using the Woolwich (derrick
Derrick
A derrick is a lifting device composed of one tower, or guyed mast such as a pole which is hinged freely at the bottom. It is controlled by lines powered by some means such as man-hauling or motors, so that the pole can move in all four directions. A line runs up it and over its top with a hook on...
) system—or via the Armstrong mechanical loader. The Armstrong system enabled loading of the guns from behind the protection of the rampart whereas the manual system required at least two crew to be exposed on the rampart's top. Despite this the guns were manually loaded for most of the their operational life as the Armstrong cable drive was faulty and too difficult to maintain. The guns had a 14-man crew and loading took about 2 minutes, a rate of fire that was only slightly faster using the Armstrong equipment.
By 1902 the guns had together fired 219 rounds, though not all at full charge with the records showing only 125 effective full charges. The platforms and traverses were scrapped in 1937 but the gun barrels were uneconomic to cut up and were left in place. One gun platform and its equipment was rebuilt in 1997 using money raised by Fort Glanville Historical Association volunteers working at the Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...
.
64 pounder RML guns
In the flank barbettes are mounted two mark III RML 64 pounder 64 cwt gunRML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun
The RML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun was a Rifled, Muzzle Loading naval, field or fortification artillery gun manufactured in England in the 19th century, which fired a projectile weighing approximately...
s, numbers 462 and 463. They are rifled muzzle loading heavy guns weighing 64 long hundredweights (3,251.4 kg) with a 6.3 inches (160 mm) calibre steel barrel. They were made to the model's 1867 pattern by the Royal Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
, Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, England in 1872. Their intended use was to protect the flanks and approaches to the fort. These smaller guns use an 8 lb (4 kg) charge of gunpowder to send a 64 lb (29 kg) projectile up to 5000 yards (4,572 m). There are iron rings fixed in the rampart wall that indicate traversing gun carriages were intended to be mounted, though this never eventuated. The guns were supplied with siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
over-bank carriages. The lower carriage sections are the type made for the guns when used as field pieces and the upper sections are brackets that raise the guns to the over-bank firing position. In this particular configuration the two guns are thought to be the last in the world.
By the end of their active use in 1902 together they had fired 1540 rounds in practice, though not all at full power as they are recorded as firing under 300 effective full charges. By then the wheels were significantly rotted
Dry rot
Dry rot refers to a type of wood decay caused by certain types of fungi, also known as True Dry Rot, that digests parts of the wood which give the wood strength and stiffness...
and the ammunition limbers had become unserviceable. Less wheels, the guns were removed from the fort in 1909; Adelaide's city council
City of Adelaide
The City of Adelaide is a local government area in the metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia. It covers the original Adelaide city centre settlement, , North Adelaide, and the Adelaide Park Lands which surround North Adelaide and the city centre.Established in 1840, the organisation now...
then set them in Brougham Gardens, North Adelaide
North Adelaide
North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands.-History:...
. Both were returned to the fort in 1976 and remounted on restored carriages of the original design. They are the only two guns of their type remaining in Australia. The southern gun (Number 463) fired three blank charges in 1980 to mark the centenary of the first firing at the fort. This same gun is fired regularly by the volunteers of the Fort Glanville Historical Association (FGHA).
Both types of heavy guns used where the only ones of their specific series and type to come to Australia. Though they were never fired in anger, the battery is only 40 feet (12 m) above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
which would have limited the accuracy of the mark III depression rangefinder
Rangefinder
A rangefinder is a device that measures distance from the observer to a target, for the purposes of surveying, determining focus in photography, or accurately aiming a weapon. Some devices use active methods to measure ; others measure distance using trigonometry...
s used.
Other weaponry
Prior to 1895 two 6 inches (152.4 mm) breech-loading gunsBL 6 inch gun Mk I - VI
The BL 6 inch guns Marks II, III, IV and VI were the second and subsequent generations of British 6-inch breechloading naval guns, designed by the Royal Gun Factory following the first 6-inch breechloader, the relatively unsuccessful BL 6 inch 80 pounder gun designed by Elswick Ordnance. They...
had been imported for use in small boats. This use was rejected by military authorities and the guns sat unused. In 1895 the South Australian Defence Committee proposed that the guns be mounted at Fort Glanville, replacing the 64-pounders whose siege carriages were then unfit for service. This proposal would have greatly extended the useful life of the fort, at little cost. The two military branches, army and navy, could not reach agreement and the proposal was abandoned by 1897. The gun's eventual fate is unknown, though a gun found in the Port River later indicates they may have been dumped.
Gun emplacements were made, about a mile apart south of the fort, for six 16-pounder field guns to provide close defence in case of an attempted beach landing. From 1890 the fort was equipped with moveable armament. It received an 1867 Whitworth
Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
12-pounder RML field gun and a 5-barrel 0.45" Martini-henry
.577/450 Martini-Henry
The .577/450 Martini-Henry was a black powder, centerfire round used by the British and British Empire militaries prior to the adoption of the .303 calibre cartridge used in the Lee-Metford, Martini-Enfield, and Lee-Enfield series of rifles alongside the Nepalese Bira gun...
cartridge firing Nordenfelt gun
Nordenfelt gun
The Nordenfelt Gun was a multiple barrel machine gun that had a row of up to twelve barrels. It was fired by pulling a lever back and forth. It was produced in a number of different calibres from rifle up to 25 mm...
. The 12-pounder had fired 222 effective full charges by 1902; at which time both weapons were obsolete and their eventual fate is unknown. A 32-pounder 56 long cwt (2,844.9 kg) smoothbore
Smoothbore
A smoothbore weapon is one which has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars.-History of firearms and rifling:...
gun on a stepped wooden carriage was purchased in 1878. Manufactured by the Royal Arsenal in 1806, it was the familiar "ships cannon" and came to South Australia with two other identical guns. By 1902 no ammunition was held for it and it was listed as for instruction only. The gun was probably destroyed in the 1930s—certainly by the end of the 1940s— with pieces of such a gun found on site in 1983.
In the late 20th century the fort acquired three 16-pounder RML mark I field guns. They were formerly used by A battery, South Australian Volunteer Artillery from 1880 until 1901. Gun number 288 is complete and used for blank firings by the Historical Association. Also acquired is a 2-pounder RML Whitworth mountain gun
Mountain gun
Mountain guns are artillery pieces designed for use in mountain warfare and areas where usual wheeled transport is not possible. They are similar to infantry support guns, and are generally capable of being broken down into smaller loads .Due to their ability to be broken down into smaller...
made in 1867. It was also used by A Battery, subsequently by Fort Largs as a signal gun. It is one of only two of this type known to exist, the other in the United Kingdom. The visitors centre has two 9-pounder brass smoothbore field guns made by H&C King in 1819. They arrived in South Australia in 1857 and were used for practice shoots near the fort c.1860; one is known to have been on the manning parade in 1890 though its use is unknown. They later became saluting guns at Fort Largs, moving by 1919 to near the Jervois Wing of the State Library of South Australia
State Library of South Australia
The State Library of South Australia, located on North Terrace, Adelaide, is the official library of the Australian state of South Australia. It is the largest public research library in the state with a collection focus on South Australian information, and general reference material for...
. The Art Gallery of South Australia
Art Gallery of South Australia
The Art Gallery of South Australia , located on the cultural boulevard of North Terrace in Adelaide, is the premier visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of over 35,000 works of art, making it, after the National Gallery of Victoria, the largest state...
saved them from a 1941 wartime scrap drive and mounted them on reproduction naval carriages in front of Government House
Government House, Adelaide
Government House, located in Adelaide on the corner of North Terrace and King William Road, is the official residence of the Governor of South Australia.-History:The original 'Government Hut' was a thatched hut constructed by the seamen of the HMS Buffalo...
in 1962. The gallery took them back in late 1977 and transferred them to the History Trust of South Australia in 1988. The History Trust has loaned them to Fort Glanville for display. Outside the visitor's centre is a 6 in (152.4 mm) breech-loading Armstrong
Breech-loading weapon
A breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the cartridge or shell is inserted or loaded into a chamber integral to the rear portion of a barrel....
80 long cwt (4,064.2 kg) gun (No.4242) that was made in 1884 and used in Victoria. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
(CSIRO) brought it to the state in 1966 for research, subsequently moving it to Perry Engineering at Mile End
Mile End, South Australia
Mile End is an inner western suburb of Adelaide, located in the City of West Torrens, around 2 kilometres from the Adelaide city centre. It has a census area population of 3,918 people...
. In 1984 the CSIRO donated the gun to the park.
Defence significance
Work began in 1882 on Fort Glanville's northern sister Fort Largs—then known as the Port Adelaide battery—to the same specification as Fort Glanville; its barracks and rear defence wall were finished in 1885. Though guns had already been purchased specially, plans for the third fort at Glenelg were not proceeded with. South Australia was experiencing a depressionDepression (economics)
In economics, a depression is a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity in one or more economies. It is a more severe downturn than a recession, which is seen by some economists as part of the modern business cycle....
in 1886 and that coupled with a report by General James Bevan Edwards
James Bevan Edwards
Lieutenant General Sir James Bevan Edwards KCB KCMG was a senior British Army officer and politician.-Military career:Edwards was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1852...
scuttled plans for the third coastal fort. As early as 1888 the emphasis for defence of the Adelaide coast had already shifted to Fort Largs; a fact cited as part of the reason for abandonment of the Glenelg fortifications.
From this point Fort Glanville's significance declined rapidly. Fort Largs was equipped in 1889 with two 6 inch breech-loading disappearing gun
Disappearing gun
A disappearing gun is a type of heavy artillery for which the gun carriage enabled the gun to rotate backwards and down into a pit protected by a wall or a bunker after it was fired...
s which outranged Glanville's armament. The decline was also linked to changes in Port Adelaide's maritime facilities and the consequent northward movement of anchored and berthed vessels. During the 1880s work had proceeded with deepening the Port River, enabling large ships to sail up and berth rather than the former practice of anchoring off-shore.
The fort remained as headquarters of South Australia's permanent military force until the 1890s and as late as 1895 there were still plans to upgrade the 64-pounder armament, though without result. By 1901 the fort was manned on a caretaker basis only and no permanent forces were stationed. The Federal Government assumed responsibility for South Australian defence in 1903 and took over the fort. Though Glanville by then had no significant defence role, the state received £14,739 in compensation
Payment
A payment is the transfer of wealth from one party to another. A payment is usually made in exchange for the provision of goods, services or both, or to fulfill a legal obligation....
. From that point its significance was not defence related but as the first and best preserved 19th century fortification in South Australia.
20th century
At Federation in 1901 South Australia's defences became a federal responsibility. Though both infantry and artillery units were housed at the site on occasion, by 1903 there was no longer a permanent military presence at the fort. For most of the 20th century the site was neglected and largely vacated. It did attract some usage though not always of a military nature. During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
it was partly revived for a former use, with ammunition stored on site. During the same period however the military used it as a detention
Detention (imprisonment)
Detention is the process when a state, government or citizen lawfully holds a person by removing their freedom of liberty at that time. This can be due to criminal charges being raised against the individual as part of a prosecution or to protect a person or property...
barracks. Some or all of the fort was leased
Leasing
Leasing is a process by which a firm can obtain the use of a certain fixed assets for which it must pay a series of contractual, periodic, tax deductible payments....
for private accommodation during the great depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. During the 1930s the magazine was again used, this time to store small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
ammunition. From June 1931 until the beginning of World War II the site housed a Sea Scout
Sea Scout
Sea Scouts are members of the international Scouting movement, with a particular emphasis on water-based activities, such as kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and rowing. Depending on the country and the available water these activities are on lakes, rivers or sea in small or large ships. Sea Scouting...
detachment, and was used as a district camp-site for the Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
s. The Department of Defence
Department of Defence (Australia)
The Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force . The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
decided in 1937 that much of the equipment and fittings at the fort were surplus to requirements. Consequent to this the mountings and carriages for the 10 inch guns were removed and sold as scrap; though effort was made to scrap the barrels it proved uneconomic and they were left in place. In an unusual turn of events, the fort briefly housed refugees. Twenty-nine islanders from the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
were rescued from their sinking dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
by a ship bound for Wallaroo
Wallaroo, South Australia
Wallaroo is a port town on the western side of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, 160 kilometres north-northwest of Adelaide. It is one of the three Copper Triangle towns famed for their historic shared copper mining industry, and known together as "Little Cornwall", the other two being Kadina ...
. They stayed at the fort for a week in 1938, before repatriation could be arranged. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the fort again attracted military related use. During 1944 the Proof and Experimental Establishment at Port Wakefield
Port Wakefield, South Australia
Port Wakefield was the first government town to be established north of the capital, Adelaide, in South Australia.Port Wakefield is situated approximately 98.7 kilometres from Adelaide and lies on the Port Wakefield Road section of the A1 National Highway...
made use of the site to proof
Proof test
A proof test is a test wherein a deliberately over-pressured round is fired from a firearm in order to verify that the firearm is not defective and will not explode on firing. The firearm is inspected after the test, and if it is found to be in sound condition, then it is marked with a proof mark...
ordnance QF 6 pounder
Ordnance QF 6 pounder
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just 6 pounder, was a British 57 mm gun, their primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War II, as well as the main armament for a number of armoured fighting vehicles...
anti-tank guns manufactured at General Motors Holden
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
in Woodville
Woodville, South Australia
Woodville is a suburb of Adelaide, situated about 8 kilometres northwest of the Central Business District of Adelaide. It lies within the City of Charles Sturt. The postcode of Woodville is 5011...
. The fort was also used as a residence again, with at least two families reported as living in the under-ground sections during the war.
After the war, the State Government negotiated with their federal counterpart to gain control of Fort Glanville. This eventuated in the 1951 sale of the 13 acres (5 ha) site, which was subsequently administered by the State Tourist Department as a caravan and camping park. The park occupied the muster ground outside the fort and the fort's barracks building was used as a manager's residence. The caravan park has had various managers since establishment: Until 1981 it was managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service
National Parks and Wildlife Service (South Australia)
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is part of the Department for Environment and Heritage - the main government conservation agency in South Australia, Australia....
, by Woodville Council until 1986 and subsequently by a private operator under a long-term lease.
A significant change in the fort's conservation and preservation outlook was its declaration as a Historic Relic under the Aboriginal and Historic Relics Preservation Act in 1972. Up to then there had been growing awareness of the significance of the site in terms of the state's colonial heritage. Control of the park was moved to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), and the fort and surrounds became designated as Fort Glanville Conservation Park. The National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
Grants Program provided funds in 1975 for conservation work; NPWS began this work in the same year and the caravan park boundary was moved southwards. Though the site had long been neglected, there was minimal permanent damage to its structure. During the 1970s reconstruction, much of the stockade was replaced. The replaced timbers are visibly different as they have shrunk
Wood drying
Wood drying reduces the moisture content of wood before its use.There are two main reasons for drying wood:...
significantly with large gaps that are not evident in the original timber. Adelaide City Council agreed to return the 64-pounder guns and new wheels were made; replacing those rotted over half a century before. In a ceremony on 2 October 1980, the 100th anniversary of the guns first firing, one of the 64-pounders was fired again; later a commemoration plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
was added to the fort's flagpole's base. Shortly after this firing the Fort Glanville Historical Association was formed, and was incorporated in 1981. Fort Glanville was opened for public visitation in 1981.
As part of South Australia's sesquicentenary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
, the South Australia Jubilee 150 board granted $250,000 for work on the fort, allowing construction of a visitor centre. Queen Elizabeth II visited and inspected the site, and newly constructed visitor centre, for almost an hour on 13 March 1986. For the visit the historical association demonstrated firing of both the 64 and 2 pounder cannons. The visitor centre was officially opened one month after this visit. Governor Dame Roma Mitchell
Roma Mitchell
Dame Roma Flinders Mitchell, AC, DBE, CVO, QC was an Australian lawyer, judge and state governor. Mitchell was the first Australian woman to be a judge, a Queen's Counsel, a chancellor of an Australian university and the Governor of an Australian state.Roma Mitchell was born in Adelaide in 1913,...
named the old road "Queen Elizabeth II Walk" in March 1991 ceremony, commemorating the 5th anniversary of the queen's visit. Considerable subsequent restoration work has been completed on the fort, including the barrack's interior. The portion of the muster ground that is not within the caravan park was returned to its original level in 1993.
Park and fort today
Fort Glanville Conservation Park is one of South Australia's most important heritage sites. It is the premier site in the state, and possibly Australia, for showcasing colonial era defences and fortifications. The fort is listed on the National Trust's classified list and on the Register of State Heritage Items. It is considered significant, in national historical military terms, for its association with Jervois and Scratchley; both leading British defence experts who influenced Australian defence thinking in the late 19th century. The fort was very well constructed with high quality materials; facts that have been noted as contributing to its preservation. The fort is largely intact and in original condition and is, along with Bluff Battery in Hobart, the best preserved Jervois-Scratchley designed fort in Australia. It is the only Australian colonial fort to still have all of its original armament, and the only to have a regular living history program. Its companion Fort Largs does survive but in greatly modified condition, converted for use as the South Australia PoliceSouth Australia Police
The South Australia Police is the police force of the Australian state of South Australia. It is an agency of the Government of South Australia within the South Australian Department of Justice.-History:...
academy. The fort retains its original armament; armament that is both rare in Australia and worldwide.
The conservation park is in the suburb of Semaphore South
Semaphore South, South Australia
Semaphore South is a beachside suburb of Adelaide, in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield.Semaphore South Post Office opened on 3 November 1947 and closed in 1978.-References:...
and incorporates the fort and surrounding area. It covers approximately 5 hectares (12 acre), bounded by Bower and Military roads, Point Malcolm Reserve and Semaphore beach. The land is entirely crown land
Crown land
In Commonwealth realms, Crown land is an area belonging to the monarch , the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it....
and is administered by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). It is divided into roughly two halves, the northern contains the fort and the southern a caravan park. While it is managed by the NPWS, the Fort Glanville Consultative Committee and Fort Glanville Historical Association are heavily involved. The committee is appointed by the Minister for Environment and Planning and acts to advise the Minister and liaise with the community. As of 1988, the fort hosted approximately 7,000 visitors annually, and is used as an event venue including the annual City of Charles Sturt
City of Charles Sturt
The City of Charles Sturt is a Local Government Area in the western suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia, stretching to the coast.It came into being on 1 January 1997 as a result of the amalgamation of the City of Hindmarsh Woodville and the City of Henley and Grange...
citizenship ceremony.
The historical association is an incorporated body of volunteers who use the fort under licence from the Minister. The operate the fort and visitor centre, holding monthly public open days at which the history of the fort is recreated; this includes drill demonstrations and firing of the fort's weapons. They maintain static displays of the fort's active period and sell souvenir
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
s. The associations goal is to have the site open as a fully operational fort for interpretation, tourism and education. The volunteers are involved with recreation, living history and ceremonial work outside the fort. They act as guards of honour
Guard of Honor
Guard of Honor is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by James Gould Cozzens published in 1948. The novel is set during World War II, with most of the action occurring on or near a fictional Army Air Forces base in central Florida. The action occurs over a period of approximately 48 hours...
at some Government House
Government House, Adelaide
Government House, located in Adelaide on the corner of North Terrace and King William Road, is the official residence of the Governor of South Australia.-History:The original 'Government Hut' was a thatched hut constructed by the seamen of the HMS Buffalo...
functions and attended the restoration opening of the Albany, Western Australia
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
fort, and the annual re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
in Keyneton, Victoria. The fort has living history
Living history
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is...
displays, including the barracks laid out and furnished in period detail. The visitor centre has displays showing the development of South Australia's colonial defence from 1836 and artifacts found on site during restorations. Connecting the fort to Semaphore jetty is the Semaphore and Fort Glanville Tourist Railway, a 457 mm (18 in) gauge steam train operated by volunteers from the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum (Port Adelaide)
thumb|Conference dinner being held in the rollingstock pavilionThe National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide, South Australia, is the current site of the Port Dock Station Railway Museum's vast Australian Railway Collection.- History :...
. The railway opened in 1991 and, as of 2002, carried over 16,000 passengers annually.