Day 14 Saturday Fort Scratchely

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Today some of our friends went to a 50th birthday party in Newcastle and the rest of us caught the ferry over to Newcastle and walked up to Fort Scratchley to explore. It was a very interesting day. We took a tour through the tunnels at the Fort which reminded me so much of the similar forts set up at Middle Head. Our guide told us all about the attack on Newcastle by the Japanese sub. and how Fort Scratchley returned fire.
Before it became Fort Scratcheley, the Awabakal people used the area, convicts mined it and signalmen lit coal fired beacons to show mariners the entrance to the port of Newcastle. The military built the fort in 1882, and it is the only Australian Coastal Defence Battery to have returned fire on an enemy vessel during WW11. The military quit the site in 1972 and it is now being restored.
After our visit to the Fort we went down to the waterfront and had lunch overlooking the harbour.

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Photos

View from Fort Scrtchley
Nobby Beach is where the coal ship - Basher Baulker ran aground last year

The viewing Tower
This tall viewing tower is situated on the waterfront near the ferry terminal

Lunch at the Waterfront
Steve, Sue, Joan, Graham, Tess and Peter

Fabulous
This old sailing ship came in through the harbour while we were there.

Fireworks
and then..... a fireworks display. They really turned it on for us all at Stockton

Comments

[carie]

basher baulker
was that the ship you photographed last year? i remember you sent photos of one that ran aground.