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Main Menu |
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19th Century Forts |
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Layout of Pt Gordon |
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Layout Map of Ft Ballance |
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Point Gordon |
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Point Gordon has a long association with harbour defence from the ‘Russian Scare’ right through to WW2. It is the only site in Wellington that has had batteries from the 1880s to WW2. |
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Fort Ballance
Fort Ballance is publicly the most recognised of the structures built on Point Gordon. It was also the very first of the gun emplacements built on Point Gordon. Fort Ballance, along with Fort Kelburne, was one of two emplacements that can truely be called a 'fort', that is it was a self-contained unit built to withstand an enemy attack from the land. Fort Ballance was built of timber, mortar and corrugated-iron sheets by former members of the armed constabulary. The main armament at Fort Ballance consisted initially of two Seven-inch R.M.L. guns flanking one six-inch disappearing gun. However one of the 7-inch guns were removed and replaced with another six inch disappearing gun. In addition, Q.F. Nordenfeldt six-pounder guns were mounted at the flank angles. Loop-holed walls and musketry parapets completed the defences.
In the event of war, a minefield was to be laid in the channel. The mines were the type detonated from the shore when the vessel was in position over them. Facilities for servicing Fort Ballance and the minefield were built in Mahanga Bay. Fort Ballance was intended to cover, at extreme range, the entrance to the harbour, provide close defence of the approach to the inner harbour, cover the minefield in the channel, and illuminate the channel and minefield with searchlights. By WW2 all the facilities at Point Gordon are generally known as Fort Ballance. |
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Fort Ballance c1887. (Fort Ballance Scorching Bay, Wellington, 1/1-020667;G. Permission of the Alexander Turnbill Library, National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any reuse of this image.) |
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Originally a 7-inch gun emplacement, later modified to hold a disappearing gun |
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7-inch emplacement before it was modified to take a 6-inch disappearing gun. (Gun emplacement at Fort Ballance, Wellington 1/2-140344;G. Permission of the Alexander Turnbill Library, National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any reuse of this image.) |
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View of the rear of the Fort. A defesive wall originally streached out on the left. The Structure you can see housed the barracks, kitchen and engine room. |
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Fort Ballance just after the war? Note "Fort Ballance" painted above the door and windows. (Fort Ballance, Scorching Bay, Wellington PAColl-5936-59. Permission of the Alexander Turnbill Library, National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any reuse of this image.) |
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Main Menu |
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19th Century Forts |
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Layout of Pt Gordon |
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Layout Map of Ft Ballance |
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Continue..... |
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