Lytton Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lytton Hill |
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Signal receiver centre, Lytton Hill, 2012
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| Location | Via South Street, Lytton, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1859 - c. 1945 |
| Official name: Lytton Hill, Lytton Redoubt, Reformatory, Signal Hill | |
| Type | state heritage (archaeological, built) |
| Designated | 25 August 2000 |
| Reference no. | 601366 |
| Significant period | 1859-1945 (fabric) c. 1859 -1950s, c. 1980-1990s (historical) |
| Significant components | redoubt, fence/wall - perimeter, store/s / storeroom / storehouse, trees/plantings, road/roadway, tank stand, post & telegraph office, signal station/post, shed/s, animal enclosure/s, culvert - storm water |
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Lytton Hill is a special historical place in Lytton, Australia. It is located near the mouth of the Brisbane River. This hill has been used for many important things since 1859. It was a signal station, a lookout for ships, and even a place for a boys' reformatory. It is also known as Signal Hill or Lytton Redoubt. Lytton Hill was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2000 because of its rich history.
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The Story of Lytton Hill
Lytton Hill has played a big role in Queensland's past. Because of its great location, it was perfect for watching the Moreton Bay area. It served as a customs lookout, a signal station, and a telegraph office. It was also a key part of the defense system for Fort Lytton. For a time, it was even a reformatory for boys.
Early Days and Communication
In the 1840s and 1850s, the port for Brisbane was set up on the Brisbane River. In 1857, people started thinking about putting a customs station at the river's entrance. By 1859, plans were made for a village called Lytton and a signal station, possibly on Lytton Hill.
After Queensland became a separate colony in 1859, Lytton stayed important for customs. In 1860-61, the first telegraph line in Queensland was built from Brisbane to Lytton. This line helped share news about ships and weather from Moreton Bay. The Lytton Telegraph Office opened on June 1, 1861.
Lytton Hill likely started as a signal station around 1859. It used flags (semaphore) to send messages about ships to the customs station below. After 1861, it also connected to the telegraph office. From 1866, it was used to receive messages from the prison on St Helena Island, which didn't have a telegraph.
In 1873, a new electric telegraph station and a home for the telegraph operator were built on Lytton Hill. This building was made of timber and had a unique design. It is now one of the oldest surviving post and telegraph offices in Queensland. From 1876, it also worked as a post office.
Defending Brisbane
In the late 1870s, military experts suggested building defenses for the Brisbane River. They recommended a fort and a "redoubt" (a small fort) on Signal Hill. This redoubt would help protect Fort Lytton from land attacks.
In 1878, it was suggested that a boys' reformatory, which was on a ship, be moved to Signal Hill. The idea was that the reformatory buildings could become part of the hill's defenses. The boys could also help with the work.
The Reformatory buildings were built on Signal Hill in 1880-81. They included dorms for 120 boys, a schoolroom, workshops, and a kitchen. A large garden was also started. The 1873 Post and Telegraph Office was inside the reformatory area. At this time, Signal Hill became known as Reformatory Hill.
In 1885, during a time of international tension, the redoubt on Reformatory Hill was completed. A ditch was dug around it, and trees were cleared. The boys from the reformatory helped with much of this work. By 1887, the redoubt was finished. The Reformatory buildings were later moved to Westbrook in 1899.
Lytton Hill was used as a military camp from 1881 until the early 1930s. Soldiers from all over Queensland would gather there for training. In the early 1900s, the land and military buildings at Lytton were given to the new Australian Department of Defence.
Wars and Modern Use
The fortifications on Lytton Hill were used during the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Queensland troops trained there before going to war. During World War I (1914–18), a hospital and huts for soldiers were built on Lytton Hill.
During World War II (1939–45), Lytton Hill was used by military signallers and engineers. New concrete buildings were added, and the old brick store was changed into a signals building.
After 1945, most of the Lytton defense sites were no longer used. However, Lytton Hill remained a communication base into the 1950s. In 1954, a wireless station with radar was built for the pilot service. In 1963, the land became part of the Ampol Refineries oil refinery.
Around 1980, the Port of Brisbane Authority used Lytton Hill as a control center. They built an observation tower to watch ships in the Brisbane River. This tower was later removed in the late 1990s. Today, Lytton Hill is owned by Caltex, which merged with Ampol.
What You Can See Today
Lytton Hill is a small hill near the Brisbane River. It offers great views of Fort Lytton and Moreton Bay. Today, it is part of the Caltex Australia Ltd oil refinery. Some parts of the hill have been changed for the refinery.
Here are some of the historical parts you can still see:
- The old access road (LH-003) that curves around the hill.
- A small concrete shed (LH-002) that might have been a generator shed.
- Part of the southwest demi-bastion (LH-005), which was an earthwork from the 1885 redoubt.
- A timber fence (LH-004) on the western side, possibly from World War II.
- The site of the Reformatory Superintendent's compound (LH-006), a flat area with possible old garden plants.
- A line of trees (LH-012), including two large fig trees.
- An alignment of Pinus radiata trees (LH-018) along the access road.
- The former Lytton Post and Telegraph Office (1873) (LH-024). This is a timber building with a hipped roof and two brick chimneys. It has been changed inside over time.
- A rectangular concrete building (LH-023) next to the Telegraph Office, likely from World War II.
- A former butcher's shop/meat store (LH-027), a timber building with a cool room inside.
- A holding pen (LH-028) next to the butcher's shop.
- A former signals building (LH-031). This building has a brick part from 1898 and a timber extension from the 1940s. It has special features for electrical wiring.
There are also some newer buildings like a garage shed and a power substation. Many old plants, including a large Ficus macrophylla (Moreton Bay Fig) tree, are still on the hill.
Why Lytton Hill is Important
Lytton Hill is a protected heritage site because it shows many important parts of Queensland's history.
- It was a key communication and observation post at the Brisbane River's mouth from the 1860s. This shows how much people relied on sea trade and communication back then.
- It was part of the early use of the electric telegraph in Queensland.
- It was a vital part of the defense system built at Lytton in the 1880s to protect the Brisbane River.
- It was the location of a Boys Reformatory from 1880 to 1899.
- It was used by the Queensland military for training from the 1880s to the 1930s. It was also important for Queensland's preparations for the South African War.
- It had a military hospital during World War I.
- It was a strategic signals station during World War II.
- It served as the Control Tower for the Port of Brisbane in the late 20th century.
Unique History
Lytton Hill is special because it has been used for communication, observation, and defense for over 130 years. The 1873 former Telegraph Office is the only one of its kind and age still standing in Queensland. It is also one of the earliest buildings designed specifically as a post and telegraph office in the state. The remaining part of the Redoubt is a rare example of a defense fort built in Queensland in the 1880s.
Learning from the Past
Because of its long history, Lytton Hill can still teach us a lot about Queensland's past. It holds clues about how people lived and worked there from the time Queensland became a separate colony until today.
Beautiful Views
Lytton Hill also has a special beauty. It feels dramatically isolated and like a ruin within the busy oil refinery around it. It offers amazing views of the area, and you can also see the hill clearly from a distance.
Community Connection
The site is important to the community because of its connection to the military in Queensland from the 1880s to the 1930s. It is also remembered as the place where boys were educated and trained at the Reformatory in the late 1800s.
