206:
166:. Fort Ballance was the premier fort in the Wellington area for 26 years (1885-1911). Used by the military over a period of 60 years (1885-1945), the 1880s layout of Fort Ballance is largely unaltered and a good impression of the original nineteenth century fort remains. The fort is a permanent reminder of the technology used in the coastal defence network of the 1880s and it is an early example of the use of concrete as a building material.
31:
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Below and to the east of the Fort was a "seesaw' searchlight, set up in 1891 and powered by the steam engine in Fort
Ballance. The searchlight consisted of an electric carbon lamp, capable of a strong beam for target illumination, because the bulb was vulnerable to enemy fire, it was protected in a
213:
Fort
Ballance is an emplacement that can truly be called a 'fort', in 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 and prison labour from Mount
174:
Fort
Ballance is the largest of the military installations located on the spur between Mahanga Bay and Scorching Bay. The other positions were known variously as Fort Gordon, the Spur Battery and the Low or Foreshore Battery. The ruins of these forts and batteries were partly buried about 1960.
178:
The fort follows the topography of the spur and earthworks were used to build up the centre of the position where the command post and communications centre were located. Earthworks also provided protection for the barracks, ablution areas, magazines and stores to the rear of the gun pits.
861:
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Fort
Ballance had positions for five main gun pits facing the channel. The concrete gun pits, some of which were closed and others open, are circular or semi-circular and while the guns have been removed the gun emplacements remain intact.
419:
in the
Waikato. The ammunition infrastructure at Fort Ballance and the surrounding area consisted of 19 magazines, one store and a laboratory and would remain in use until the early years of the Second World War.
189:
Fort Gordon, to the south of Fort
Ballance, consisted of one gun-pit and magazines. It is now almost completely buried as are the smaller positions lower down the spur. Tunnel entrances have been filled in.
441:
Only a few of these were built anywhere in the Empire. It was difficult to operate and was never successful and the position was abandoned in 1899, but the emplacement remains today.
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With the decommissioning of the guns of Fort
Ballance in the immediate post-war years, Fort Ballance along with the Mahanga Bay facilities, Shelly Bay, Fort Gordon and the
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for protection, commissioned engineer Major Henry
Cautley to design a series of fortifications to protect the country's main ports. The Fortress is listed as a
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The rear of the fort adjoining the accommodation casemates was enclosed by musketry parapets and loopholed walls, parts of which have been demolished.
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2 November 1904 whilst conducting live firing on a 12 pounder, there was a breech explosion in which one Gunner was killed and five
Injured.
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constructed to protect New
Zealand from naval attack. In 1885, the Government, reluctantly acknowledging that they could not rely solely on
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7 August 1899 whilst attempting to demolish the Seesaw emplacement three members of the permanent militia were killed and one injured in a
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recessed emplacement whilst a large mirror, attached to the end of the ‘see-saw’ girder reflected the light beam across the water.
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Victorian Naval Forces manuals 1890 & 1895. Includes QF 6 pounder Nordenfelt details. From Friends of the Cerberus website
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The Searchlight was able to illuminate targets from the harbour Heads to Ward Island with a power of 50000 candlepower.
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and Point Halswell, and the positions were protected from land attack by a further defence position on Mount Crawford.
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as the 1st large scale ammunition depot of the NZAOC until 1929 when purpose-built facilities were constructed at
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Instructions for 6 inch Rifled Breech Loading Armstrong Gun and Hydro-Pneumatic Disappearing Carriage
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Crawford Gaol. During the 1890s the wooden construction was rebuilt with concrete.
150:, Fort Ballance is one of the best preserved of a string of nineteenth century
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Video clip showing breech operation and loading of restored disappearing gun
609:(10 Jun 2016 ed.). Defence of New Zealand Study Group. pp. 48–59.
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Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in the Wellington Region
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The main armament at Fort Ballance evolved over the years to include:
147:
567:"Fort Ballance (including associated positions at Fort Gordon)"
538:"Fort Ballance (including associated positions at Fort Gordon)"
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Video clip showing left side view of restored disappearing gun
658:"The evolution of NZAOC ammunition responsibilities 1939-1945"
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is a former coastal artillery battery on Point Gordon on
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Built in 1885 following fears of an impending war with
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Diagram of Armstrong Mk V gun on disappearing carriage
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Defending New Zealand, Ramparts on the Sea 1840-1950s
311:The main armament of the Low Battery consisted of:
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411:were taken over by the Ammunition Section of the
283:The main armament at Fort Gordon consisted of:
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857:Buildings and structures in Wellington City
887:Military installations established in 1885
699:. Evening Post. 19 August 1886. p. 2.
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193:Additional firing support was located at
18:Historic site in Point Gordon, Wellington
827:at Victorian Forts and Artillery website
542:New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero
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843:History, technical details, animations
100:Heritage New Zealand – Category 1
902:1911 disestablishments in New Zealand
892:Military installations closed in 1911
736:"Gun-Cotton Explosion at Mahanga Bay"
468:Coastal fortifications of New Zealand
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489:Russophobia in New Zealand 1838-1908
697:The Electric Light at Fort Ballance
632:"New Zealand Army Ordnance Section"
897:1885 establishments in New Zealand
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877:1880s architecture in New Zealand
818:Disappearing Mountings described
794:from Australian National Archives
272:were mounted at the flank angles.
270:Q.F. Nordenfeldt six-pounder guns
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630:Mckie, Robert (15 March 2017).
413:New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps
292:One eight-inch disappearing gun
260:, replaced one of the 7inch RML
1:
656:Mckie, Robert (29 May 2018).
258:One six-inch disappearing gun
247:One six-inch disappearing gun
841:Nordenfelt 6 pdr Quick Firer
587:. National Archives AD 62/1.
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760:. Evening Post 2 Nov 1904.
742:. Evening Post 7 Aug 1899.
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359:BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII
236:Two Seven-inch R.M.L. guns
70:41.2946250°S 174.8344306°E
710:Glackin, Russell (2009).
662:"To the Warrior his Arms"
636:"To the Warrior his Arms"
160:Category 1 Historic Place
126:
122:
93:
28:
823:23 November 2015 at the
516:. Reed. pp. 11–37.
512:Wright, Matthew (2001).
75:-41.2946250; 174.8344306
754:"Fatality at the Forts"
714:. Penguin. p. 50.
585:Defences of New Zealand
487:Barratt, Glynn (1981).
395:QF 6 pounder 10 cwt gun
882:Coastal fortifications
712:In Defence of our land
371:Ordnance QF 18-pounder
330:QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss
298:QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss
210:
152:coastal fortifications
782:at Wikimedia Commons
605:Cooke, Peter (2001).
491:. The Dunmore Press.
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872:Forts in New Zealand
683:"Seesaw searchlight"
571:Heritage New Zealand
546:Heritage New Zealand
339:Gordon Point Battery
332:, removed after WW1.
164:Heritage New Zealand
307:Foreshore Batteries
209:Fort Ballance, 1992
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430:Seesaw Searchlight
424:Seesaw Searchlight
348:Two QF 12 pounders
319:Two 64-Pounder RML
300:gun (Spur Battery)
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115:Reference no.
778:Media related to
409:Kau Point Battery
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61:174°50′3.95″E
58:41°17′40.65″S
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812:Taiaroa Head
802:Taiaroa Head
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201:Construction
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110:19 July 1990
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758:Papers Past
740:Papers Past
279:Fort Gordon
231:1885-1910:
73: /
49:Coordinates
851:Categories
616:0473068338
551:1 December
523:0790008173
498:0908564759
474:References
454:explosion.
452:Gun Cotton
390:1944-1945
378:1943-1944
354:1941-1959
344:1901-1923
325:1897-1907
315:1891-1897
287:1895-1924
253:1903-1924
242:1886-1924
137:Wellington
107:Designated
43:Wellington
393:One twin
265:1892-WW1
218:Armaments
195:Kau Point
821:Archived
462:See also
170:Overview
38:Location
667:21 June
641:21 June
156:Britain
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148:Russia
366:1942
86:Built
716:ISBN
669:2019
643:2019
611:ISBN
553:2009
518:ISBN
493:ISBN
385:guns
381:Two
373:guns
369:Two
361:guns
357:Two
328:Two
296:One
290:One
268:Two
256:One
245:One
234:Two
118:5074
89:1885
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162:by
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