Thursday, January 26, 2012

Fort Taiaroa

On Tuesday, September 13 while we were in New Zealand for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Tomasin, Hunter, Debbie and I toured Fort Taiaroa.

Fort Taiaroa
(Including six-inch Armstrong Hydropneumatic Gun
and Underground Chambers)

New Zealand Historic Places Trust #389

See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps

This historic place is located at the end of Harrington Point Road, Taiaroa Head, Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand. The GPS coordinates for this location are S 45° 46.468 E 170° 43.686.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

Fort Taiaroa
Fort Taiaroa

The Russian war scares of the 1880s caused the New Zealand Government to erect batteries overlooking the harbours of the four main centres. The strategic position at Taiaroa Head gave excellent control over ships approaching Otago Harbour. Local stone was used by prison labour with outstanding skill to form the underground galleries and storage for the gun emplacement. The six-inch Armstrong hydro-pneumatic disappearing gun is still in sound condition except for incomplete breech mechanism. Fort Taiaroa is an excellent example for a military fortification of a bygone era and in its dramatic siting is most worthy of preservation.

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