The Guns of Tomaree. : Military defences left over from the 1940's on Tomaree, Port Stephens, Australia.: Military defences left over from the 1940's on Tomaree, Port Stephens, Australia.

By Smith, Michael

Book Id: WPLBN0100750775
Format Type: PDF (eBook)
File Size: 4.28 MB.
Reproduction Date: 01/01/1998

Title:	The Guns of Tomaree. : Military defences left over from the 1940's on Tomaree, Port Stephens, Australia.: Military defences left over from the 1940's on Tomaree, Port Stephens, Australia.
Author:	Smith, Michael
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Non Fiction, Geography, Anthropology, Recreation, The six inch guns.
Collections:	Authors Community, History
Historic Publication Date:	1998
Publisher:	Self.

Member Page:	Michael Smith
Citation APA MLA Chicago Smith, M., & Steinbeck, G. (1998). The Guns of Tomaree. : Military defences left over from the 1940's on Tomaree, Port Stephens, Australia.. Retrieved from http://self.gutenberg.org/

Description
In the early 1940s Port Stephens was a large natural harbour close to the vulnerable, yet essential steelworks of Newcastle. Australia was at war with Japan. An unguarded Port Stephens could have provided an easy landing place for any hostile force. The guns at Newcastle were too far away to provide protection for Port Stephens. - By the end of 1942 Fort Tomaree was constructed and ready, with two "six inch" (152mm) guns, torpedo tubes, mortars, machine guns, rifle pits, search lights, command posts, observation posts, barbed wire entan- glements and accommodation. The guns were never fired in anger. Their installation did however provide peace of mind and the facilities for artillery training.

Summary
As many as 100,000 people a year climb to the top of Tomaree Headland. On the walk you will see evidence of earlier constructions, part of Australia's wartime defences. This book will help you make sense of the block houses, concrete slabs, machinery and chunks of camouflage you may come across. 36 pages 19 photographs 7 maps

Excerpt
With the war moving closer to Japan, the Amphibious Training C e n t r e w a s c l o s e d o n O c t o b e r 1 2 t h 1943, after only a year of operation. From then until the end of hostili- ties on the 15th of August 1945, the military facilities around Port Stephens played only a minor role in supply and training. Gan Gan Army Camp, 4km from Nelson Bay was a troop staging and training area. The buildings there consisted of kitchens, mess, toilets and ablution blocks. The troops lived in tents. The guns of Tomaree have gone. What remains are gun emplacements, observation and command posts, and the foundations of many of the struc- t u r e s . Some of the buildings were taken over by Tomaree Lodge and still stand today. Tomaree Lodge is owned by the State Government. The eastern three quarters of Tomaree Headland is part of Tomaree National Park. What follows are excerpts from the official records which have been edited slightly to correct spelling mistakes and to convert imperial measurements to metric.