The Lytton Study Group
Lytton/Litton/Letton/Letten/Leyton/Litten/Lutton/etc
Fort Lytton - Queensland, Australia
What is Fort Lytton and the Fort Lytton National Park?
An initial description of Fort Lytton from the "Queenslander" newspaper March 1881
Description of an updated Fort Lytton from the "Queenslander" newspaper May 1885
Fort Lytton
The fortifications at Lytton are one of the few 19th Century military establishments surviving in Queensland, and a most suitable backdrop for Military Re-Enactments in terms of space available.
Constructed at the township of Lytton near the mouth of the Brisbane River, the Fort assumed the name of its locality. Work began in 1880/81 and for the rest of the century there were considerable adaptions and modifications. The area surrounding the Fort was used for defence purposes until the end of the second World War, after which it was virtually abandoned. It was acquired by Ampol Pty Ltd as part of a land package for an oil refinery. This refinery was built, but thankfully the Fort and its immediate area was retained.
After many years of extensive lobbying by interest groups such as The Arms Collectors' Guild of Queensland Inc., the Fort was finally handed back to the people and placed in the care of the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS); and it is they who manage its day-to-day operations. In recent times it has become somewhat of a focus for local living history groups.
The entrance to Fort Lytton National Park is located at the corner of Lytton Road and South Street, Lytton. The fort itself borders onto the Brisbane River on the opposite bank to Brisbane International Airport. It lies between the River and Wynnum.
Queenslander Report - Fort Lytton - March 1881
On landing at the jetty one finds that he is within an enclosure of several acres, fenced off by a substantial two-railed fence, while a short distance to the left from the landing a queer shaped ditch has been dug and the earth excavated thrown up in what appears at first sight to be a very promiscuous manner. The works in progress at this spot are to form a very important link in the system of defences which are being carried out on the recommendation of Colonel Scratchley and upon which Brisbane will have, to a very great extent, to depend for safety in case of invasion.
On the hill (henceforth to be known as Signal Hill) overlooking the southern portion of the bay, a large building has also just been erected, which is to serve the double purpose of a reformatory for boys in time of peace, and as an additional means of defence in the event of any warlike demonstration being made against the metropolis.
The battery being formed on the flat, at a short distance from the river, is intended to prevent an enemy's vessels entering the river, and to protect the submarine defences intended to bar their progress should they succeed in getting into the stream. The ditch forming the outer extremity of the works has been excavated and the earth thrown up inside, so as to form the parapet of the fortifications, but further progress has been delayed pending the arrival from England of the cement required for the internal work.
The ditch forming the outer boundary of the fortifications is pentagonal in shape, is forty-six feet wide at the top, the sides sloping down to a width of sixteen feet at the bottom, and is sixteen feet deep. It is nearly a quarter of a mile in length, it encloses an area of about 900 square yards, or a little less than two acres, and the quantity of earth excavated from it is from l8,000 to l9,000 cubic yards. Around the inside of the ditch is a small level space called the "berm", from the inner edge of which rises the parapet, formed by the earth thrown up from the ditch.
The right face of this parapet looks towards Moreton Bay, while the left faces almost directly across the river. The right face has a width of sixty feet at the base, with an extreme height of twenty-five feet, while the river face has a mean height of sixteen feet. On the former will be placed two six-inch or four and a half ton muzzle-loading guns, placed at an elevation of sixteen feet above parade level. These guns, made by Sir William Armstrong and Co., will be made of the latest pattern, will fire projectiles varying from 50 to 90 in weight, the average charge being 25 and, with a battering charge of 33 of pebble powder, they will be capable, at a close range, of piercing eleven to twelve inches of wrought iron armour plates. On the left face will be placed two 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifled guns, at an elevation of five feet above the parade level, the extra elevation and larger size of the ordnance in the former case being provided on account of the right face being most exposed to attack. In the rear will be "emplacements" for two field guns intended to defend the fort from a land attack.
Inside of the right face will be situated the barracks for the garrison, powder magazine and shell-room. From the magazine, passages will communicate with the guns, the serving of which will be facilitated by means of a lifting tackle travelling on a rail in the roof of these passages. The loading gallery, or chamber, will be vaulted in brickwork, and protected by aprons of cement concrete. The whole of the work of serving and loading the guns will be carried on under cover, the only man who will be exposed to the fire of an enemy being the "number" aiming the guns. The guns are to be mounted on wrought-iron carriages, traversing platforms arranged on the same principle as railway turntables, by means of which the pieces can be readily brought to bear on any required point. The whole of the work connected with the gun platforms, barracks, and magazines will be carried out in the most substantial manner, with the cement concrete foundations and outer walls, the lining being of hard brick laid in cement varying in thickness from two to three feet, and the protecting concrete ranging from seven to eight feet in thickness.
The rear of the fort is protected by a parapet twenty feet in height, and under cover of this will be placed timber buildings to serve as officers' quarters, guard and cooking houses, ablution sheds, etc. The entrance to the fort is to be by drawbridge placed at the eastern end of the rear parapet, and under cover of the right flank. The passage forming the entrance will pass through the parapet, the sides and roof of the passage being logged with heavy square timber bolted together. The entrance will be closed by heavily-framed wooden gate, sheeted with iron at the back. A strong fixed bridge at present spans the ditch at the rear of the fort, but after the heavy guns have been taken across, this will be removed and the drawbridge erected.
The appearance of the battery from the river will be that of a large earth embankment, no masonry being exposed, and the guns will be mounted to fire en barbette, that is to say, over the parapet. They will be given great lateral sweep, so as to command any portion of the River in the vicinity with artillery fire. The 64 pounders mentioned are now in the colony, and will be mounted on high carriages of a new and improved pattern.
Queenslander Report - Fort Lytton - 2nd May 1885
The fort now is practically completed as far as alteration and improvements go. The parapet, on which stood the two brass l2-pounder Howitzers which have been transfered to the Pippo have been raised by about a foot, so as to afford more cover for the infantry firing over it, and the whole has been neatly sodded over.
The infantry have also continued the work of narrowing the embrasures of the 6-inch guns and the defence and mounting of these guns may now be considered complete on the right of Nol 6-inch gun, that is to say, on the extreme right of the fort and nearest to an attacking force from the Bay, a large mound has been constructed to a height of 4 ft. 6 ins. on the interior crest. This mound, which will afford further protection against an enemy's fire has been sloped down to nothing at a distance of between 30 ft. and 40 ft. from the base. The concrete facings around the gun have been entirely concealed by l ft. of earth covered with sods. This new earth is also sloped down to nothing at a distance of 30 ft. from the concrete in front of the muzzle of the gun.
The thickness or rather the depth of this additional earth is considered to be an effectual safeguard against shell fire. As regards No2 6-inch gun, a parapet of earth 4ft. 6ins. high, and about l8ft. thick at the top, has been raised to protect the gun in a similar manner, and to diminish the size of the embrasure; which also in the case of Nol 6-inch gun, was before in the opinion of the authorities unnecessarily large. The ground in front of each gun, which has sunk a little has been filled in, and this is also in course of being sodded over. The embrasures are now sufficiently narrow, and the glaring concrete facings completely concealed...The earth has been filled up in front of the two 64-pounders, but the embrasures of these latter will not be narrowed, as they do not point in direction of the Bay, and are protected from the fire of an advancing foe by the earthworks on the right.
In fact, they would hardly be able to come into action until the enemy was close on to the fort. The l0-barrel Nordenfelt machine-gun, Martini-Henry bore, is being placed in a large concrete-lined bed of a great depth, and fixed so that it can deliver a sweeping fire in every direction. The situation of this pit is between the two 6-inch guns over the principal magazine. This work is being done by the Engineers. A sunk gallery is being cut from the Nordenfelt gun to the rear, with a ladder down to the fort, so that ammunition can be supplied to the gun in action by men who will all the time be under cover.
Lytton Study Group Home Page ~
WDC GenWeb Project Home Page
Contact the Lytton Study Group