Battery Hill Virtual Tour
Come along with our Visitor Information Centre (VIC) Tour Guide and enjoy one of the many picturesque walks around historic Port Fairy.
Let the virtual tour begin!
Located across the bridge from Port Fairy’s picturesque harbour, Battery Hill is worthy of exploration. Why was a Battery and Garrison established in Port Fairy? In the nineteenth century, the colonial government was concerned about the wars raging in Europe. It was felt that, as a consequence of these wars, there was a real threat of invasion of the colony in Australia. In Victoria, the government believed the main ports along the southern coast were vulnerable to attack from the sea, principally from Russian warships. Consequently, a network of permanent fortifications was established along the southern coast to defend these ports.
These fortifications in Port Fairy, Portland and Warrnambool were intended to “act as a powerful deterrent to attack by hostile warships”. A variety of cannons were positioned in Port Fairy to protect the town from this perceived threat.
“The Port Fairy Visitor Information Centre acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of this land and gives respect to the Elders, past and present, and through them to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.”
In January, each year this cannon on the top of Battery Hill is fired every Sunday morning to celebrate the new year and share with locals and visitors the story of Battery Hill in Port Fairy’s history. Although – I hasten to add – the cannon doesn’t fire a 36-kilogram shell!
If it did your leisurely stroll round Griffiths Island might be rudely interrupted. Or some fishing boats and pleasure craft sailing near Griffiths Island might not be returning to the wharf!
Interspersed amongst recently taken photographs along the route to and from Battery Hill is a selection of old photographs and postcards kindly provided by the Port Fairy Historical Society. They’ll help you visualise what Battery Hill was originally like and how it has changed over time. This postcard of Battery Hill showing the lookout and concrete emplacement is an early example. It’s very different from how Battery Hill looks today.
The VIC is situated in Railway Place on Bank Street where the old railway station, shed and railway lines were located. The railway ceased operation in 1977 after being established here in 1890. Look carefully at this photograph showing the railway lines. Notice the platform of the Station. Can you guess where the VIC is located today in this photograph? (Hint: The railway lines cross over Bank Street which is in the background where the buildings are situated).
This signage tells us that a wealthy Irishman by the name of James Atkinson was granted 5,120 acres of land in this area of Port Fairy for the very reasonable price of one pound per acre.
Atkinson also bought land in other parts of the colony — he had serious “land hunger”. In 1843 Atkinson started drawing up plans to build a town he called Belfast, now known as Port Fairy.
Let’s start our tour by walking down Bank Street towards Gipps Street.
Gipps Street is named after Sir George Gipps who was Governor of New South Wales from 1839 to 1846. It was Gipps who granted Atkinson his Special Survey of 5,120 acres and the rest as they say is history! The red building at the end of Bank street, seen in the photograph, is Goble’s Mill House.
Joseph Goble was one of the most successful millers in the town. He built his mill in 1866 and operated it until 1871 when he leased it to another miller. Unfortunately, growing wheat in the area became increasingly hampered by fungal diseases. Eventually flour mills closed down and the buildings were used for other purposes. Goble’s Mill House operated as a Cheese and Butter factory until 1939, as shown in the photograph.
Another well-known Port Fairy mill was the Moyne Steam Flour Mill. Originally the mill was a four-storeyed bluestone building. It was located on the southern boundary of King George Square and is shown in the background of this photograph. The remains of the building can still be seen there today. After its days as a flour mill ended it was used to host balls, theatrical performances and a wire walking exhibition. Today the Moyne Steam Flour Mill and Goble’s Mill House are used for accommodation.
From the mid 1840s onwards, some millers built and operated windmills to grind wheat into flour. The wooden post mill shown in this photograph, circa 1861, was located near the south end of Gipps Street and was built in 1847 by John Griffiths, the famous whaler and pioneer. Windmills were also used to pump water. In earlier times, shallow wells and water tanks were used as a source of water; however, by the mid 1880s most hotels and large private houses and farms had their own windmills.
The first Norfolk Island pine was planted behind the house pictured below, at 64 Gipps Street, in 1848. This particular pine tree became famous as one of the oldest of its kind in the colony and was used by the town’s fisherman as an important nautical marker when returning home from a day’s fishing in the ocean.
The 1st Port Fairy Sea Scouts was established in 1950. Today, the troop organizes activities for Joey Scouts (5-8yo), Cub Scouts (7-11yo), Scouts (10-15yo), Venturers and Rovers. A varied program of water and land based activities provide local young people with valuable opportunities for community involvement while developing personal and leadership skills within a team environment.
Famous steam ships like the SS Casino and SS Coramba sailed up the Moyne River and were able to turn around using the ‘swinging basin’. In this photograph, the SS Casino has just turned around in the “swinging basin” and is sailing back down the river towards the mouth of the Moyne River. It is about to pass the wharf and several fishing boats. The curved roofed Customs Shed can be seen in the background.
In the early days of the town these bullock wagons were vital to the trade on the wharf as they were the principle means of transporting cargo to and from the wharf. The photograph shows a number of bullock wagons ready to transport bags of wheat and wool.
Further down Griffiths Street you’ll see this impressive little cannon — looking military smart in its red colour. This particular cannon is a replacement for a similar cannon that mysteriously disappeared many years ago in 1999. The original cannon was recovered from a ship wreck in 1865.
Continue walking along Griffiths Street. Here’s a very interesting early postcard of Port Fairy taken from the top of Battery Hill showing where you’re walking on Griffiths Street along the Moyne River. Can you see Griffiths Street? (Hint: It’s not there!) Notice the line of warehouses along the river on the opposite side of the river — very different from the modern renovated houses that are there today. The train accessed the wharf in front of the Customs Shed through the gap that can be seen in the warehouse. Two railway carriages sit next to the Customs Shed.
The rocket launcher apparatus was invented in 1807 by Captain George Manby. Basically, the rocket launcher method involved firing a rocket, with a rope attached, out to sea in the hope of it landing on the ailing ship. If it did, a heavier rope would follow with a pulley attached to a life-ring called a “breeches buoy” which had a large canvas bag with holes in the bottom for legs. Passengers and crew would then be transported to the beach in the wildest kind of ‘flying fox’ ride imaginable!
In 1866 the schooner Lismore was wrecked while on its way from Newcastle to Sydney carrying a cargo of coal. The crew were rescued from the wreck by means of the rocket launching apparatus. The newspaper engraving shown here is of a scene from the beach showing the rope being launched towards the Lismore.
In 1859 the government flagstaff was erected on this conspicuous landmark which became known as Flagstaff Hill. Flagstaff Hill was an important signaling and tidal aid for ship Captains sailing into Port Fairy Bay looking for safe anchorage. The port was located in the bay at this time, not in the river. With the addition of a second 80-pounder cannon in 1885 and the artillery battery being built on Flagstaff Hill the name changed to Battery Hill.
This photograph was taken from the west bank of the Moyne River and looks across the river towards Battery Hill. There are a number of interesting features to note. On top of Battery Hill a small octagonal observation hut can be seen. This was used by the Harbour Department as a lookout (to watch out for any Russian warships!). Below and to the right of the lookout is an 80-pounder cannon on an iron carriage positioned within a concrete emplacement. The cannon is still there today.
This photograph shows a closer view of the observation hut on the top of Battery Hill, described in the previous photograph. Good to see our trusty little watchdog seems to have everything under control and isn’t barking up the wrong tree about a Russian invasion.
This photograph, taken from near the observation hut, shows a cannon pointing towards the river and not out to the bay. Can you spot the Court House, Customs House, Customs Shed, Lifeboat House and Merrijig? The built-up path that can be seen below the cannon is the remains of the foundation for a tramway line that connected the bay to the river. But why is that cannon pointing towards the town?
Maybe the cannon seen in the previous photograph was all about “keeping an eye out” for any suspicious warships docking at the wharf on the Moyne River, as shown in this photograph (by the way, the ship isn’t Russian). The curved roofed Lifeboat House can be seen on the left in the background.
Who operated and maintained these cannons? The Belfast Volunteer Corps. This photograph shows a group of the volunteers with the Armstrong muzzle loading rifled 80-pounder cannon. The Corps was established in 1859. The volunteers participated in parades, drill instruction, tactical exercises, artillery competitions and camps. The tactical exercises were taken very seriously. Apparently, during one night’s tactical activity, a sentry on duty acting for the defensive force was distracted by a pretty servant girl’s offer of “supper indoors” allowing the attacking force to sneak past and claim victory!
Who was in charge of the Belfast Volunteer Corps? The famous Captain John Mason, seen in this photograph. John Mason was an extraordinary man who contributed in many different ways to the development of the township of Belfast. He began as an innkeeper at The Stag, and then became a carpenter, stone-mason and architect to name but a few occupations from his skill set. He was also a member of various community organizations. He built the Rosebrook Bridge, the first Post Office in Bank Street, and the Court House, Telegraph Office and many of the larger shops in the town.
In the late 1800s artillery competitions were organised between Volunteer Corps from different towns to find out how far and effectively they could shoot the cannon. There is a report from The Warrnambool Standard newspaper from 1894 that tells of such a competition between the Volunteer Corps from Port Fairy, Geelong, North Melbourne, Portland and Warrnambool. A target would be placed in the bay and teams would get marks for how quickly they could prepare and fire the cannon and how close they could get to the target
Walking past Martin’s Point towards the river mouth the southwest passage comes into view. This passage directly connects the ocean with the river. Today a causeway built across the passage links the mainland with the training walls providing access to Griffiths Island. But the current causeway interferes with the connection between the river and ocean and affects sand deposition on the East Beach.
Apart from the silt and shallowness of the Moyne River, ships trying to sail into the mouth of the river were blocked by bluestone reefs. Blasting away these bluestone reefs required gun powder (dynamite). The gun powder was carefully stored in the bluestone Powder Magazine building, shown here. It was built in 1861 and the stored gunpowder was not only used for rock blasting but also for civil works and tree blasting. The building has interesting design features. Its brick ceiling is semi-circular in shape. This meant that if the gunpowder did explode most of the damage would be to the ceiling and roof, not the walls, thus reducing the danger to people.
The extended entrance of the Moyne River into Port Fairy Bay was created by two training walls, as shown in the photograph. The training walls were constructed about 1870. Extending the river into the bay helped to control the silting up of the river mouth and enabled ships to more easily sail up the river. Tower Hill, the extinct volcano, can be seen in the distance.
Looking back towards Griffiths Island a final panoramic view of the bay can be enjoyed — clear blue sky, expansive sandy beach, calm blue waters, and the beautiful Griffiths Island in the background with the lighthouse peeping out!
Doesn’t get much better … or does it?
Because if you’re game to rise early in the morning you might be able to catch a sunrise over Griffiths Island and be lucky enough to see something spectacular like this!
The narrative, descriptions, historical information, recent photographs and newspaper engraving supplied by Glen Foster, Volunteer Tour Guide at the Port Fairy & Region Visitor Information Centre. Historical photographs and postcards supplied by the Port Fairy Historical Society. Other photographs as referenced. Further reading: “Port Fairy — The First Fifty Years” by J. W. Powling; “The Belfast Fantasy” and “Port Fairy — The Town That Kept Its Character” by Marten A Syme; “Guns & Cannon along Victoria’s South West Coastline”: a pamphlet produced for the City of Warrnambool and the Moyne and Glenelg Shires by Heritage Matters Pty Ltd; “Some Shipwrecks of Port Fairy Bay — A Guided Walk” by Stan Evans.