|
|
Post by Bruce on Dec 23, 2009 8:59:36 GMT 12
Does anyone know whether the Wrights Hill Fortress group (Wellington) is holding an open day next week? I am in Wellington for a few days over the Holidays (27 - 30 Dec) visiting Te Papa and the likes, and I was hoping to explore some of the old military installations in the area (time permitting). Checking the Wrights Hill web page, it says there is an open day on the 28th December (which suits me fine!) However it doesnt mention a specific year. The webpage in general looks really outdated, so I'm not sure how current that particular open day schedule is. Do any of the Wellie locals know any more?
|
|
|
|
Post by ErrolC on Dec 23, 2009 10:21:49 GMT 12
From the chatter on the Wellington Rifles yahoo group, yes it is open on this 28th.
|
|
|
|
Post by steve on Dec 23, 2009 10:49:32 GMT 12
Thanks guys for the info on Wrights Hill. I to will be in wellington for a few days from the 28. Flying in and catching up on the city and history. I to will visit wrights hill on Monday
|
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Dec 23, 2009 15:07:10 GMT 12
Excellent - I think I'll schedule a visit on Monday Morning, with the Afternoon at TePapa. Say hi if you see me!
|
|
|
|
Post by steve on Dec 28, 2009 21:35:45 GMT 12
Wrights Hill gun emplacements well worth a visit on open days. I visited in the afternoon and saw Bruce's entry in the visitors book earlier in the day. Apparently similar to Waiheke Island tunnels and pits. I was very impressed with the size and displays in varies rooms underground. I am sure a lot more tourist would visit the location if advertised. As complete as any complex i have seen in Germany!
|
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Dec 30, 2009 21:36:13 GMT 12
Just got back from a couple of days in Wellington exploring museums etc, and I'm really pleased that I made it to the Wrights Hill Fortress open day. the place is amazing, and the volunteers are making a great job of tidying it up. There was quite a good attendance on Monday morning when I was there, although lots of screaming kids in echowy and confined spaces can get a bit much .... (They always seem to find the loose metal plates in the floor too, which make massive Thump sounds down the tunnels) after just over an hour below ground I wandered around on top. Some of the few pictures I got when groups of teens weren't posing for phone cam photos in the way: The shell room for the number 1 9.2" Gun (two were installed, the emplacement for a 3rd was completed, but the gun was never ordered)The hole in the ceiling above the two old chairs is the elevator shaft used to lift the ammunition to the gun directly above.  At the other end of the #1 Magazine is the Cartridge room, where the big fabric bags containing Cordite were stored:  Before entering the cartridge room, gunners had to change out of their normal uniforms into special "magazine clothes". a special isolation bay was set up between the shell and cartridge stores. A replica has been constructed in the #1 Magazine.  The main spine corridor between the 3 sets of gun positions is several hundred metres long - and disappears out of flash range! It is at least 40 feet below surface level.  Electrical power for the battery (The guns were driven electro-hydraulically) came from 2 very large and one smaller diesel generators housed in the engine room. The smaller unit is being restored to working order (its radiator frame hangs from the crane) and the other two will hopefully be restored in future years.  In one of the tunnels the preservation group have stored this wooden replica of a 9.2" Gun barrel - it is huge! Although there are no immediate plans to rebuild the huge turret it would have been mounted in, this gives some idea of how big these beasties were. Even made out of ply and customwood, the replica weighs over 1.5 Tonne - the originals would have been over 27 Tonne each, and were scrapped in the 1960s and sold to the Japanese (the very enemy they were built to be used against)  The gunpits are about 9.5 M in diameter and would have had a huge steel turret on top. Number 1 gunpit is open and cleared:  Number 2 is half filled in:  the unused No 3 position also still exists but it is completely filled to the top of its surrounding ring. I tried to find it but the track to it is very poor and I didn't quite go where I had intended! I would thoroughly recommend a visit on the next open day - which is ANZAC day I think. |
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 30, 2009 22:31:11 GMT 12
I recommend a visit to the similar gun fort at Dunedin next to the Gannet colony too. It's very well restored and interesting.
See any old Boeings stowed in there Bruce?
|
|
|
|
Post by ErrolC on Dec 31, 2009 8:02:44 GMT 12
Just got back from a couple of days in Wellington exploring museums etc, and I'm really pleased that I made it to the Wrights Hill Fortress open day. the place is amazing, and the volunteers are making a great job of tidying it up. ... I would thoroughly recommend a visit on the next open day - which is ANZAC day I think. |
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Dec 31, 2009 9:18:16 GMT 12
Thanks errol and Rick.
I took the wrong fork in the track and got to the parade ground, and assumed that the gun pit was the other way. As it was pretty warm and very humid I wasnt enthusiastic enough to go back up to it! - pulling a mower up there would be a serious job!
Sorry Dave - no Boeings (they were outside the airport terminal a few km away...). Ive been to Fort Taiaroa as well - its pretty cool but quite different from Wrights Hill, as it is only a single 6" disappearing gun set up in the 1880s. Interesting to compare the technologies and emplacement philosphies between then and the 1940s.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 31, 2009 11:18:15 GMT 12
Tere's one open to the public on North head at Auckland now too, isn't there? Who owns these plaes, is it the Government still or the local councils?
|
|
|
|
Post by ErrolC on Dec 31, 2009 12:15:24 GMT 12
Tere's one open to the public on North head at Auckland now too, isn't there? Who owns these places, is it the Government still or the local councils? The main tunnels and guns at North Head (of the Waitemata) have been accessible for decades (fond childhood memories!). More recently, the buildings (in addition to the tunnels anhave been transferred from the navy to DoC. They did enough work on the disappearing gun to fire a black powder charge in the barrel in 2004. www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/historic/icon-sites/north-head-auckland/ |
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Dec 31, 2009 12:45:50 GMT 12
I could also highly recommend a book I purchased over christmas:
"In defence of Our Land" - a tour of New Zealand's Historic Harbour Forts
Russell Glackin. (Penguin ISBN978-014301186-6)
this covers all the NZ harbour forts from the 1880s through to decomissioning in the 1960s. really well presented book with all sorts of interesting historical notes and photos. It has lots of stuff on the 3 9.2 inch batteries at Wrights Hill, Stoney Batter (Waiheke Island) and Whangaparaoa (North Shore).
North Head is probably the most well known harbour fort, and it has an eclectic mix of emplacements from the 1880s, WW1 and WW2. It doesnt have the efficiency of design that the late WW2 9.2inch installations have.
The Dunedin disappearing gun is in full working order, however it cant be fired as it sits in the middle of an albatross colony! It cant even be raised as it requires the recoil of firing in order to lower it again. the other disappearing guns in NZ are at North head and Mt Victoria in NZ. 3 of the 5 survivors worldwide are in NZ.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 2, 2010 15:05:15 GMT 12
Peter Cooke's three volumes called "In Defence of New Zealand" are very good books too, and this new book sounds very similar.
|
|
