History of Bennelong Point

Bennelong Point is known to the local indigenous Gadigal people of the Eora nation as Tubowgule.

It was originally a small tidal island which was made up of rocks and a small beach. It is located on the tip of the eastern arm of Sydney Cove, and protrudes into Port Jackson (Sydney’s natural harbour).

For a brief time in 1788, it was known as Cattle Point because it was used to confine cattle that had been brought from Cape Town by the First Fleet.

Later, the newly-arrived convicts then burnt the piles of discarded oyster shells left behind by Aboriginal people in order to make lime for cement mortar. The island then became known as Limeburner’s point.

The most significant and famous moment of the point’s history involves its namesake, an Aboriginal man from the Eora nation called Bennelong. He was employed as a cultural interlocutor by the British, and had a brick hut built for him on the point.

In 1798 a half-moon battery was constructed at the northernmost end of Bennelong Point, and was mounted with guns from HMS Supply.

From 1818, the island was connected to the mainland via rocky rubble to provide a basis for Fort Macquarie to be built there. The existence of this rubble was largely forgotten until the late 1950s when both were rediscovered during the excavations related to the construction of Sydney Opera House.

Bennelong Point today

Today the site has become famous for being the home of the Sydney Opera House, which was formally opened in 1973, and hosts over 1,500 performances annually. The construction of the well-known building has left little trace of the earlier incarnations of the point, including Bennelong’s Hut.

Efforts are being made to raise the profile of sites that relate to the history of Australia’s Indigenous people; for instance, Bennelong’s grave, which ’til now has been marked very humbly, will soon be commemorated by a monument.

Getting to Bennelong Point

From the centre of Sydney, the point – and the opera house – are reachable in around 20 minutes via Elizabeth St. By car, it takes around 5 minutes via Macquarie St, and a regular metro service includes the ‘Circular Quay’ stop, from where the point is around a 10 minute walk.

History of Darwin Military Museum

Darwin, the capital city of Australia’s Northern Territory, played a crucial role in the country’s involvement in World War Two. At the start of the war, 10,000 allied troops were sent to the city to defend the nation’s northern coastline from Japanese air attacks. This number would increase to a record of 110,000 troops by 1943. In 1942 Japanese warplanes bombed Darwin, killing at least 243 people, and the Northern Territory was subjected to a further 62 air attacks before 1944.

Darwin Military Museum Today

The museum itself is housed in the original 1940s gun emplacements that were built to defend the city against attack by sea or air. These guns are still in situ and visitors can encircle them as they stroll through the exhibition.

The new and improved Defence of Darwin Experience is an interactive, multimedia exhibition that details Darwin’s history and its role in World War Two. Originally created as an artillery museum, the exhibition features vehicles, uniforms, firearms, images, and paintings alongside artillery pieces.

As well as the exhibitions, it is possible to explore the bunkers that were used by personnel in World War Two as well as military vehicles left in their original positions. As the forefront of Australia’s homeland military action, Darwin was also the base for American forces attempting to free Manila and defend Guinea from Japanese forces.

A small but rapidly expanding and improving museum, the Darwin Military Museum gives the most detailed and personal introduction to the impact of World Wat Two on the Australian mainland. Although focused on WWII, the museum also holds information and articles relating to the entire military history of the Northern Territory.

Getting to Darwin Military Museum

From the centre of Darwin, the museum is a 12 minute drive via E Point Rd and Alec Fong Lim Dr, or is a scenic half an hour cycle via National Highway 1 and Alec Fong Lim Dr.

Fort Lytton history

Built from 1880-1882, Fort Lytton was originally a response to fears of colonial naval attacks on Brisbane from powers such as Russia or France. At the time, colonial Australia shared the competitors of the British Empire, and recognised that Brisbane was particularly vulnerable to attack from the French naval base of Noumea, a three-day-sail away.

The fort was designed by Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Scratchley, a British colonial officer, and was constructed in typical pentagonal shape, hidden within a grassy mound and surrounded by a moat on the mouth of the Brisbane river.

The fort’s purpose was to prevent enemy vessels accessing the river, initially achieved with a remote-controlled minefield across the river mouth and heavy artillery. Fort Lytton also served as a major training base, training soldiers for the Boer War, World War One and World War Two there, as well as Queenland’s reserve soldiers.

Fort Lytton took on new significance during the Second World War, now part of a much larger defence system. One of Fort Lytton’s roles was as ‘Inner Inspection Station’ due to its inner defensive position: the fort sent inspection parties to board ships, ensuring they were safe to continue up river.

At the war’s end, Fort Lytton quickly closed down, and only a signal station remained in operation during the Korean War until 1965. The fort’s last defence operation was in the same year, when the signals gathered information of an ‘Indonesian coup’ resulting in the rise of General Suharto. Soon after, the fort was handed to Ampol oil company to build the Lytton Oil Refinery.

Fort Lytton today

Today, Fort Lytton is Queensland’s foremost military exhibit, offering well-preserved and extensive historic fortifications, Queensland’s largest military museum and regular military re-enactments to be explored by visitors. Admission, guided tours and car parking are free from 10am-4pm including Sundays and most public holidays. An interesting day out for families to history lovers.

Getting to Fort Lytton

If driving from Brisbane, Fort Lytton is a 25 minute journey via State Route 23. Via public transport, the buses 111, 169, and 555 will take you to Buranda Station, where you can get the SHCL train to Wynnum North and walk 2.4km to Lytton.