Dawes Point Battery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dawes Point Battery |
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| Dawes Point, Sydney, New South Wales in Australia | |
Dawes Point Battery
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 Dawes Point Battery
Location in Sydney central business district
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| Coordinates | 33°51′18″S 151°12′34″E / 33.854945°S 151.209404°E |
| Type | Gun battery |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Demolished between 1925 and 1932; remains only |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1791 |
| Built by |
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| Materials | Sandstone |
Cannons at the Dawes Point "Tarra" interpretive park
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| Location | Hickson Road, The Rocks, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1791–1925 |
| Built for | NSW Colonial Government |
| Owner | Property NSW |
| Official name: Dawes Point Battery remains | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 10 May 2002 |
| Reference no. | 1543 |
| Type | Battery |
| Category | Defence |
The Dawes Point Battery remains are the historic parts of an old artillery fort. This fort is now a cool visitor spot near the Sydney Harbour Bridge. You can find it in Sydney, Australia, between Dawes Point and The Rocks.
People started building and changing this fort from 1791 all the way to 1925. Important people like Lieutenant William Dawes, Robert Ross, Francis Greenway, and George Barney helped build it. Today, the land is owned by Property NSW, which is part of the Government of New South Wales. The site was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002 because of its historical importance.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of Dawes Point Battery
Dawes Point is a famous spot in Sydney Harbour. It has a long history, starting with some of the first meetings between the local Eora Aboriginal people and the First Fleet settlers. For a long time, the government used this area for defence and transport. It also adds to the beautiful look of Sydney Harbour. This point is part of Sydney's historic Rocks area.
Early Days and First Fortifications
The very first building at Dawes Point was an observatory. Lieutenant William Dawes of the Royal Marines built it in 1788. Soon after, in 1789, a place to store gunpowder was added. Then, in 1791, the actual battery (a place for cannons) was built.
The first cannons came from a ship called HMS Sirius. This ship had unfortunately crashed at Norfolk Island the year before. The battery was built because Britain was worried about a possible attack from Spain in 1790. Later, in 1798, Governor Hunter was concerned about a ship called Argo arriving. This led to more defence efforts at the Battery. George Barney, a key engineer in Australia's early history, helped with the construction. The site was also used as a cemetery for prisoners from Sydney Gaol for some time.
Growing Stronger: Expansions and Threats
In 1810, there was a plan for French forces to attack Sydney. But the Royal Navy stopped this by capturing the island where the French were based. During the Napoleonic Wars, the battery would fire salutes when French and Spanish ships captured in the Pacific arrived in Sydney.
The fort got much bigger in 1819. Governor Lachlan Macquarie asked Francis Greenway, a famous architect, to design new parts. Greenway created a round battery and a fancy guardhouse. This guardhouse was built on top of the old gunpowder storage area. The strong defences were meant to look very threatening to any enemy ships sailing into Sydney Harbour. Sandstone blocks for the fort were even dug up right there at Dawes Point Park.
More buildings were added in the 1850s and later in the century. In 1838–1839, a disagreement between the United States and Britain, called the Aroostook War, made people worry about Sydney's defences. When two American ships arrived one night, even though they were peaceful, it showed how unprotected the colony was.
Protecting Gold and Modern Changes
The Crimean War (1854–56) made people in New South Wales nervous. Russia had done well in a battle, and there was a fear that the Russian Pacific Fleet might attack Sydney. At this time, New South Wales was making a lot of money from gold. So, the government made Fort Macquarie and Dawes Point bigger. They also built new forts at Kirribilli and Mrs Macquarie's Chair, and finished Fort Denison. Dawes Point got new underground gunpowder rooms. The Royal Artillery also sent soldiers to guard the fort. Dawes Point Battery became the main control centre for all the forts in the inner harbour.
Colonel George Barney was in charge of updating Sydney's forts, including Dawes Point, in 1860.
By the end of the 1800s, Sydney's main defences had moved to the entrance of Sydney Harbour. This meant Dawes Point was no longer needed as a fort. From 1901 to 1903, the battery was used to store things for the head of the Australian Military.
Most of the fort was taken down in 1925 to make space for the Sydney Harbour Bridge. By 1932, the last buildings were removed. These buildings had been used as a base for Dorman and Long, the company that built the bridge. After that, the whole area was turned into a public park.
In 1995, archaeologists dug up parts of the Battery site. What they found was used to create a new park that opened in 2001. This park was named "Dawes Point|Tarra," using the Cadigal Aboriginal name for the area.
What Remains Today: The Site's Description
Today, you can see the archaeological remains of the Dawes Point Battery, which was active from 1791 to 1925. These remains were dug up over several years.
They include:
- The floor of the first gunpowder storage room.
- The round battery area, with signs of where four cannons once stood.
- Underground storage rooms.
- A stone ramp.
- The foundations of the officers' living quarters.
You can also see five large 42-pounder cannons. These cannons were made around 1843-1844. One cannon is on a copy of its original wooden stand, placed where a cannon used to be. The other four cannons are not in their original spots and don't have stands.
Current Condition and Importance
The first building at Dawes Point was Dawes' observatory in 1788. A gunpowder magazine was built in 1789, followed by the Battery in 1791. It was made much bigger in 1819, and more buildings were added in the 1850s and later. The site was also used as a cemetery for prisoners from Old Sydney Gaol. All the buildings were taken down between 1925 and 1932 when the Sydney Harbour Bridge was being built.
The archaeological remains found here are very special in Australia. They show us about many important times in history. It's rare to find sites from the 1700s. Only a few buildings designed by colonial architect Francis Greenway are still around. Finding parts of his semi-circular battery here is exciting. The quarry on the site, where stone was dug, also shows how carefully stone was mined back then.
The remains of the Battery floor and underground magazines also show parts built under George Barney's guidance. He was a very important Colonial Engineer in the mid-1800s. With the cannons still there, the Battery is like a valuable history book about military life. The old ruins also look beautiful and remind us of Australia's past.
The Battery was uncovered in 1995, along with parts of the Officers Quarters (from 1856) and the Guardhouse (from 1819-1830s). Some parts of the 1789 magazine and the battery from before 1819 were also found. These remains were carefully preserved and explained between 1997 and 1998. The interpretive park opened in 2000.
Changes Over Time
Here's a timeline of how the site changed:
- 1789 – A gunpowder storage area was built.
- 1791 – The Battery was built.
- 1801 – Improvements were made to the Battery.
- 1819 – Francis Greenway built new parts.
- 1856 – More improvements were made to the Battery.
- 1904 – The military stopped using the site.
- 1924-1932 – Work for the Sydney Harbour Bridge took place.
- 1930s-1940s – Trees were planted, and the park was created.
- 1995 – Archaeological digging took place.
- 2000 – Parts of the site were rebuilt, and the interpretive park opened.
Awards and Recognition
The work done to dig up, preserve, and explain the Dawes Point Battery remains has won several important awards since 2001. These awards show how important the site is:
- 2001 - Energy Australia National Trust Heritage Awards for Tourism
- 2002 - RAPI Award for Masterplan, Signage and Interpretation
- 2002 - RAIA (NSW) Lloyd Rees Award for Outstanding Urban Design
- 2002 - RAIA (NSW) Award for Architecture, Conservation and Reuse
- 2002 - Institute of Engineers Awards Highly Commended Heritage
The "Tara" Interpretation project also won an award:
- 2005 - Energy Australia National Trust Heritage Award for Interpretation and Presentation
Why Dawes Point Battery is Important: Heritage Listing
The Dawes Point Battery remains are very important to the history and science of New South Wales. The site is also important because it's part of The Rocks area, which is historically significant itself.
Historical and Research Value
The old remains at Dawes Point from after 1788 are extremely valuable for research. It's very rare to find archaeological sites from the 1700s. Only a few places, like the First Government House and parts of the Dockyard, show us what life was like in the first 10 years of European settlement in Sydney.
Only a few buildings designed by the colonial architect Francis Greenway are still standing. Digging up the semi-circular battery here has helped us learn more about his work. Also, Greenway's quarry on the site is the only example of how carefully stone was mined in Sydney during that time. The archaeological findings of the Battery floor and underground magazines also show parts built under George Barney's guidance. He was one of Australia's most important Colonial Engineers in the mid-1800s. With the cannons from that time still present, the Battery is a key part of military history. The old ruins also have a strong visual appeal, reminding us of Australia's colonial past.
The Foundation Stone from 1789 (now at the NSW State Library) and the five cannons from the 1850s are very important to the site's heritage.
Community and Aesthetic Value
Dawes Point is important to many groups of people in New South Wales. This includes people who live or used to live in The Rocks and Millers Point. It's also important to those who fought to save The Rocks in the 1970s. Descendants of the many soldiers and their families who were stationed at Dawes Point also value the site. People who worked on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and their families also find it meaningful.
Dawes Point, as the setting for the Harbour Bridge, is valued for its beauty and engineering importance by groups like the Institution of Engineers (Australia) and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. The fact that it's listed on the registers of the National Trust and the National Estate shows how much the wider community respects this site.
The awards won for the excavation, preservation, and explanation of the Dawes Point Battery remains since 2001 show its historical, social, technical, and research importance to both the public and experts.
Unique and Rare Aspects
The Dawes Point Battery Remains is a rare historical area. It shows evidence of over 200 years of European settlement. It's also a place where the Eora Aboriginal and European cultures first met. The site has been used for science, defence, and engineering, and has social value throughout its European history. It provides a beautiful setting for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and holds clues about the bridge's construction. It was the first defence installation set up in Australia and has rare surviving examples of underground gunpowder magazines.
Images for kids
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Cannons at the Dawes Point "Tarra" interpretive park
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Cannons at the Dawes Point "Tarra" interpretive park
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Cannons at the Dawes Point "Tarra" interpretive park
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Point "Tarra" interpretive park
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