Fort Ballance

Above Scorching Bay, Miramar

Fort Ballance was built in 1885 following fears of an impending war with Russia. It is one of the best preserved of a string of nineteenth century coastal defences constructed to protect New Zealand from a naval attack. In 1885, the Government, reluctantly acknowledging that they could not rely solely on Britain for protection, commissioned engineer Major Henry Cautley to design a series of fortifications to protect the country's main ports.

Fort Ballance ground plan	Fort Ballance barracks, Wellington	Interior of the barracks	Interior of the barracks
Interior of the barracks	Detail of the barracks	Entrance to observation post	Battery observation post
View from observation post	The underground magazine	Six inch gun battery	Six inch gun battery
Six inch gun battery	Six inch gun battery	Seven inch gun battery (North)	Seven inch gun battery (North)
Seven inch gun battery (North)	Seven inch gun battery (North)	Seven inch gun battery (North)	Observation post
Passage to seven inch battery	Passage to seven inch battery	Passage to seven inch battery	Seven inch battery (South)
Passage from seven inch battery	Six pounder gun battery (South)	WW2 barracks area
64 pounder / 4 inch gun position	64 pounder / 4 inch gun position

The 'See-saw' searchlight

Down the bank a bit on the Seaward side of the fort is an emplacement for a "See-Saw" searchlight emplacement. A lamp sat on the bottom end of a boom with a mirror on the top end to reflect the light outward. This arm could pivot to project the light in the desired direction. It was not that effective however. This was built about 1891/92 and was abandoned in the late 1890's. It is the only one built in New Zealand and is one of a small number of them internationally.
Murray Lewis tells me that the two pictures that I thought were the seesaw searchlight mounting are in fact the old 64 pounder / 4 inch gun position. The seesaw mount is further to the left (about 50 metres and down the bank in some scrub. He's also sent me these details and photos of Fort Ballance.

The 4 inch battery	The 4 inch battery	Minefield observation post	Point Gordon in the 1920s
The 'See-saw' searchlight plan	The 'See-saw' searchlight section	The 'See-saw' searchlight	The 'See-saw' searchlight
The 'See-saw' searchlight	The 'See-saw' searchlight

Bluff Fort

Bluff Fort

Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort
Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort
Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort
Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort	Bluff Fort

Fort Buckley, Wellington

Fort Buckley, Wellington

Fort Buckley, Wellington	Fort Buckley, Wellington	Fort Buckley, Wellington	Fort Buckley, Wellington
Fort Buckley, Wellington	Fort Buckley, Wellington	Fort Buckley, Wellington	Fort Buckley, Wellington
Fort Buckley, Wellington	Fort Buckley, Wellington	Fort Buckley, Wellington	Fort Buckley, Wellington

Fort Dorset, Wellington

Fort Dorset, Wellington

Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington
Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington
Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington
Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington
Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington
Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington
Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington	Fort Dorset, Wellington

Moa Point, Wellington

Moa Point radar station, Wellington

Moa Point radar station

Moa Point radar station

Moa Point radar station

Moa Point radar station

Fort Opau, Makara

Fort Opau

Access to Fort Opau was overland but provision was made for beach landing. Fort Ohau consisted of two 6-inch guns installed in 1941 together with an operations post and a radar station. As the war drew to a close, having never fired a shot at anything, the fort was de-commissioned in 1944.

A large chain and small boy	Concrete shelter or store	A very rusty winch
Old rails from a slipway	Old rails from the slipway	Old rails from the slipway
Radar station, Fort Opau	Radar station, Fort Opau	Radar station, Fort Opau	Memorial plaque, Fort Opau
Six inch gun emplacements	Six inch gun emplacements	Six inch gun emplacements	Six inch gun emplacements
Operations bunker	Operations bunker	Operations bunker	Underground bunker

Somes Island

The Anti-Aircraft Battery

The Anti-Aircraft Battery consisted of a command post and 4 3.7 inch gun emplacements built in 1942. The Japanese threat soon diminished and, like the majority of New Zealand's fortifications, the guns were never fired in anger.

Somes Island AA battery	Brick building at edge of site	A general view of the site	Gun Pit No 4, Somes Island
Gun Pit No 4, Somes Island	Gun Pit No 4, Somes Island	Gun Pit No 4, Somes Island	The Command Post, Somes Island
The Command Post, Somes Island	The Command Post, Somes Island	Gun Pit No 3, Somes Island	Gun Pit No 3, Somes Island

The De-gaussing Station

In 1940 the Germans laid magnetic mines in the Cook Straits and other palces on the coastline. De-Gaussing was carried out to shipping to reduce their magnetic signature, the process being run by a WRENS unit on Somes Island.

De-Gaussing noticeboard

The foundations of the station camp

Remains of the jetty

Leftover rubble and brickwork

Fort Taiaroa, Dunedin

Fort Taiaroa and it's disappearing gun

Fort Taiaroa, Dunedin	Fort Taiaroa, Dunedin	Fort Taiaroa, Dunedin	Fort Taiaroa, Dunedin
Fort Taiaroa, Dunedin	Fort Taiaroa, Dunedin	Fort Taiaroa, Dunedin	Fort Taiaroa, Dunedin
Fort Taiaroa, Dunedin	Fort Taiaroa, Dunedin

Trelissick Park, Wellington

Kaiwharawhara Powder Magazine

Wellington's oldest standing stone building was once the Wellington district magazine in Trelissick Park. It was built in 1879-80 as a response to criticism of the practice of carrying gunpowder through Wellington streets to the store at Mt Cook. This magazine was built on land bought from Charles Schultze and designed by Charles O'Neill, civil engineer and architect. There were two separate magazine buildings, as well as a keeper's house, stables and coach house. The building was under continual threat from flood, and in 1890 the cottage was washed away. The army abandoned the magazine in 1921. It was then used by a variety of businesses, and much altered. In 2000 the just-restored magazine was partly destroyed by fire when a security van stolen in a robbery was hidden inside and torched by the robbers. Today the remaining magazine and part of one wall of another are being managed as a partial ruin by the Wellington City Council.

Kaiwharawhara Powder Magazine	Kaiwharawhara Powder Magazine	Kaiwharawhara Powder Magazine	Kaiwharawhara Powder Magazine
Kaiwharawhara Powder Magazine	Kaiwharawhara Powder Magazine	Kaiwharawhara Powder Magazine	Kaiwharawhara Powder Magazine

Trelissick Park Volunteers Group

There's an enthusiastic group of volunteers looking after Trelissick Park and the magazine. Here's a link to their website :- Trelissick Park Group and some photos of them in action.

Kaiwharawhara Powder Magazine

Briefing the working party

Launch of the 'Onslow Historian'

Coffee time in Trelissick Park

Wrights Hill Fortress

Wrights Hill Fortress

Planned in 1935, construction began in 1942 to house two 9 inch guns, installed in 1944, the order for the third was cancelled. The guns were scrapped in 1960 and the site decayed. Restoration began in 1988, firstly by the Karori Lions and subsequently by the Wrights Hill Fortress Restoration Society. The underground areas are now open to visitors on a few days each year.
For more information, go to the Restoration Society's website at www.whfrs.org.nz

Wrights Hill ground plan	Wrights Hill notice board	Wrights Hill notice board	Wrights Hill notice board
Observation and radio post	Observation and radio post	Gun pit No 1, Wrights Hill	War shelter No 1, Wrights Hill
War shelter No 2, Wrights Hill	War shelter Nos 1 and 2	Gun pit No 2, Wrights Hill	Plotting rooms and shelter
Engine rooms and buildings	Engine rooms and buildings	Engine rooms and buildings	Gun pit No 3, Wrights Hill
Parade ground building	Foundations next to radome	Foundations next to radome	Foundations next to radome

Acknowledgments, sources and further reading.

Thanks for the use of their photographs and more information to :- Murray Lewis and Darcy Waters of www.capitaldefence.orcon.net.nz but the website seems to have been archived.