Colonial Defences of Hobart, January 2013 visit

Some pics mostly of the caponiers and ditches at Kangaroo Bluff Battery from my recent trip to Hobart. We managed three (well four if you count two at Battery Point) colonial batteries in four days - how's that for a patient family! It's quite a difficult battery to photograph given it's low profile.

Mount for the Nordenfelt on the landward entrance to the battery.

Not much ventilation. You can imagine it would get very hot and smokey inside if a steady rate of fire was kept up.

This image gives an indication of how effectively the troops int he caponier can enfilade forces
making an assault on the battery wall.

Note the hatch in the low section of the roof which provides access tot he Caponier.

Another location I enjoyed was Alexandra Battery in Sandy Bay. There is a great tunnel down from the top carpark that gives way to a wonderfully preserved battery (although no ordnance left in place).

Sweeping view of the Derwent looking towards Kangaroo Bluff (on the south bank, just of left hand side of shot)
from a tower above Alexandra Battery 

Entrance to the tunnel down to the battery

Heading back up the tunnel

And finally the few remnants of the defences at Battery Point and some emplacements at Stinky Beach, Sandy Bay.

Inside the WWII gun emplacement at Long Beach, Sandy Bay

Tunnel entrance under Battery Point

Looking downhill from what I presume if the location of Prince Albert Battery in Princes Park, Battery Point. Note the scald marks in the grass suggesting something is below. The tunnel entrance is below the playground.

A 'Waterloo Man' at the world's end

On a recent trip to Tasmania I had the opportunity to visit an old friend who I first met in 1992 – Barracks Sargent Philip Maher, c. 1791–1847 CE.

Maher awaits Gabriel's Trumpet at the original burial ground in Ross, a garrison town in the midlands of Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania). The military presence had an important impact in the early days of Ross with a number of the early buildings around the town having military origins and several streets are named after battles of the Napoleonic wars. Some of the soldiers stationed at Ross were veterans of these campaigns.

Among them is Philip Maher of the 51 Regiment of Foot, The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Maher ended his days in Ross as the Barracks Sargent but his headstone records his military service noting him as being a Waterloo Man and a veteran of the Peninsular Campaign.

There is a very good image of the text on the headstone here

The old burial ground at Ross is a very atmospheric spot on a quiet day – the graves sit on a stoney hilltop in a quiet valley in central Tasmania. The only sound is the grass swishing in the wind as one sits in quiet reflection.

A good photo gallery for the burial ground can be found here


Since my last visit the inscription seems to deteriorated considerably but is still legible. 

Sacred

To The Memory

Of

Philip Maher

Who departed this life

On 31^st March AD 1847

and served as Quarter master

Sargent in the 51 KOLI

During a long campaign on the

Peninsular and Waterloo

and Late Barrack Sargent

At Ross

AGED 56 Years

Its my intention to follow up what history I can of Maher given little is currently provided in the guidebooks at Ross. An initial search of the newspapers of the time has Maher forwarding a donation to St Joseph’s Church - the oldest Catholic Church in Hobart. A letter from Maher printed in the Colonial Times of Hobart, records this donation from the men of the Regiment towards the construction of St. Josephs - possibly assisting with the construction of the 60 foot tower of the church which was completed in 1843.

Colonial Times, Hobart, 22 March 1842, page 3

More to come ...