Hunter Living Histories

Here is a summary of all Fortress Newcastle Project activities from 2020 to 2021 to keep everyone in the loop.

Origin of “Fortress Newcastle”

“Newcastle Fortress” is the description used by the Australian Government for its defence installations and operations established to protect Newcastle from enemy attack during World War II.

Australia protected only two sites in this way; Newcastle was one of them because it was the site of the nation’s armaments manufacturing industrial complex.

The official records of the “Newcastle Fortress” are lodged with the National Archives of Australia (NAA). A sample listing is below.

 

The Birth of the Fortress Newcastle Project

In early March 2020 representatives from the University of Newcastle’s Cultural Collections and the Newcastle Industrial Heritage Association (NIHA) met to discuss potential collaboration in a Fortress Newcastle project involving a number of heritage groups.

Some of these groups were activily involved in safeguarding World War Two era defence sites originally established to protect Australia’s industrial heartland, and so had a great working knowledge of their operations.

Later that same month, COVID19 arrived, and we were again forced into a “fortress mentality” to protect our home, therefore Fortress Newcastle had re-emerged in the form of a war against a virus.

This inspired us to prepare a short video and Hunter Living Histories article called Newcastle: A Call to Action. This was achieved with the assistance of University alumnus Bob Kear, and his fellow members at the Newcastle Industrial Heritage Association. Greg and Sylvia Ray also kindly provided photographs to illustrate the article.

Fortress Newcastle: A Call To Action

The First Meeting of Fortress Newcastle

The Fortress Newcastle groups met for the first time, over zoom, on the 22 April 2020.

Everyone agreed it was very important to tell the story and explain what “Fortress Newcastle” was all about, as well as what we were trying to achieve through the Project.

This introduction was published as The Newcastle Fortress Project on the 12 June 2020. An introductory film was also produced using interviews recorded by Glenn Dormand and Tony Whittaker of Carnivore Films; the film makers currently working with the Cultural Collections/Hunter Living Histories team on the Stories of Our Town Project.

The Fortress Newcastle Project

Field Trips to the Fortress Newcastle Sites

During 2020 field trips to various sites were organised through the NIHA to better familiarise everyone with the remnant installations.

 

Fortress Newcastle Grants

In October 2020 a Sydney based historian and heritage consultant, Peter Hobbins, in collaboration with University of Newcastle, industry and community partners, helped the NIHA draft and later submit a grant application to the Commonwealth Department of Veterans’ Affairs ‘Saluting Their Service’ grants.

The Fortress Newcastle groups met in the grounds of the University of Newcastle’s University’s Delpratt Cottage, home of the NIHA, on the 10 November 2020.

The Fortress Newcastle Film Shoot Begins

It was decided that video histories with the surviving veterans, now in their late eighties and nineties, be made as soon as possible. A task for which Glenn and Tony took up immediately.

 

 

 

Grant Applications Submitted

On the 11 February 2021 we submitted our “Saluting Their Service” Grant application. We also submitted another application to the Newcastle Port Community Contribution Fund (NPCC).

Both grants were successful, but not for the full amounts, so we scaled back our original objectives to better meet the budget constraints.

Our main objectives were to now make a film telling the story of Fortress Newcastle through the memories of veterans, and to prepare a set of high quality exhibition panels and educational materials to accompany an exhibition.

The Outcomes

As of September 2021 we are making good progress.

(1) Exhibition. The production of large high-quality exhibition using portable display stands. This includes:

• A VIP event where we can showcase Fortress Newcastle to regional leadership.
• Locating it in a large prominent venue for a period of time. The venue has not been decided, but Fort Scratchley has been suggested.
• Having the collaborating Fortress Newcastle groups all carry out research and provided information on all the industry and military sites.
• Sending a team to Canberra to view 60 folders of files held at the National Archives of Australia and Australian War Memorial Archives. Unfortunately, this has been delayed by COVID lockdowns.
• Deciding on the panel subjects, layout of the exhibition design, so that preparing the content can commence.
• The NIHA negotiating to employ a writer and graphic designer to prepare the exhibition panels, and looking at a range of panel styles to purchase.
• Being ready by early next year, 2022.
• Archiving the very large database of information and images online.

A team meeting will be held at Delprat’s Cottage as soon as we can. In the meantime, stay safe.

Contact:

Bob Cook
President, Newcastle Industrial Heritage Association

P: 0419241731
E: nihanewcastle@gmail.com
W: www.niha.org.au

MILITARY DEFENCE LOCATIONS

• The Defence of Newcastle 1939-1945
• Newcastle’s World War II Sites of Significance (2009)
• Newcastle Fortress Headquarters, Shepherds Hill
  See: The Story of Shepherd’s Hill (Mort)
• Amphibious Training Command Centre Gan Gan
• Fort Tomaree Port Stephens
• Camps: Gan Gan, Nelson Bay, Shoal Bay
• “HMAS Assault” Naval Training School Port Stephens
• Nelson Bay – RAN Temporary Engineers Workshop Stockton Street
• Port Stephens Boom Defence net – Salamander Bay
• Port Stephens – United States Navy Landing Forces Depot
• Royal Marine Camp, Nelson Bay
• Salt Ash Air to Ground Gunnery Range
• VHF D/F installation – Tea Gardens
• Tank Traps – Stockton Beach
• RAAF Fighter Control Unit  – New Lambton school
• RAAF Base Williamtown
• 3.7 HAA guns Tomago
• 3.7 HAA guns Links battery Fern Bay
• Fern Bay Armour Proofing and Testing Range
• Fort Wallace Stockton
• 3.7 HAA gun Fort Wallace
• 3 pndr unit Carroboro Oval Stockton
• Wave Battery – Stockton
• U.S Army artillery Unit Williamtown
• WAAF plane spotters unit
• Fern Bay Rifle Range
• Fern Bay Proof Range 1941-1957 (Prepared 11 July 2019)
• Bob’s Farm Cadre Camp
• Ash Island RAAF Radar Station
• Australian Army Training Sites – Greta, Largs, Singleton, Raymond Terrace, Rutherford
• Boomerang Park Army Camp – Raymond Terrace
• Paterson Artillery Range
• Fort Scratchley
• Park Battery (Shepherd’s Hill)
• Mayfield West HAA battery
• Merewether HAA battery
• Ash Island RAAF Radar Station
• Camp Shortland Newcastle
• 7th Australian Casualty Clearing Station, Australian Army Greta
• 60 AASL Coy, Company Headquarters
• Drill Hall in Percy St., Hamilton, Newcastle
• Wangi Wangi RAAF Stores and Quartering Area
• HMAS Maitland
• RAAF Rathmines Catalina Base. See: Rathmines Air Base
• Catherine Hill Bay Radar Station

 

INDUSTRIES & SERVICES

• Newcastle BHP Steelworks
  See: Morris – A Review of the War-Time Activities of the BHP Steel Plant (1947)
  See: 25 Pounder AP-17 pounder APC Shot (DO Morris)
• Stewarts and Lloyds
• Lysaghts
• Rylands
• Wire Rope Works
• Commonwealth Steel
• Goninans
• Morison & Bearby
• Sulphide Corp
• Cardiff Railway Workshops
• Newcastle Chemical Co.
• State Dockyard
• Electricity Generation
• Water Board
• Coal Mining & loading
• Agricultural production
• Harbour Operations
• Dehydration plant Morpeth
• Uniform Manufacture Newcastle

This post was compiled from emails and documents received across 2020-2021 by Gionni Di Gravio, OAM University Archivist & Chair, Hunter Living Histories.