Fort Phillip | |
---|---|
Observatory Hill, Sydney, New South Wales in Australia | |
Location of Fort Phillip in Sydney central business district | |
Coordinates | 33°51′34″S151°12′17″E / 33.8595°S 151.2048°E |
Type | Former fort |
Site history | |
In use | 1803 – 1840 s |
Fate | Partially demolished and repurposed as the Sydney Observatory from 1858 . |
Fort Phillip was a citadel style fort constructed as part of the first defensive works of the penal settlement of Sydney, located on Observatory Hill in the Sydney suburb of Millers Point, New South Wales, Australia. The fort has been demolished and the local government heritage-listed [1] [2] [3] site repurposed as the Sydney Observatory.
Governor John Hunter ordered a fort to be built and Fort Phillip was commissioned in 1804 by the third New South Wales Governor (in office 1800–1806), Philip Gidley King, partly as a response to external threats such as a possible French attack in 1803 and partly due to the internal unrest from rebellious convicts reflected in Australia's only major convict rebellion at Castle Hill in March 1804. This was dubbed the Battle of Vinegar Hill as most of the convict rebels were Irish. Windmill Hill (later Observatory Hill) was chosen as a fort location as it was the highest point above the colony, affording commanding views of the Harbour approaches from east and west, the river and road to Parramatta, surrounding country and of the entire town below. [4] [5] The fort was never fully completed and never fired a single shot in anger.
A flagstaff was built in 1825 on the eastern wall of the fort, which sent messages to ships in the harbour and the signal station at Fort Denison and South Head. [1] [2]
During 1847-48, a new signal station, designed by the colonial architect Mortimer Lewis, was built to replace the flagstaff. The fort was subsequently demolished leaving the eastern rampart as the only remaining evidence of the fort's existence. [3]
Sydney Observatory was built on the site in 1858 to provide accurate time readings for the colony and to observe stars in the southern sky. [6]
The fort is commemorated in the name of Fort Street High School.
Parramatta is a major suburb and commercial district in Greater Western Sydney, located approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) west of the Sydney CBD, on the banks of the Parramatta River. It is often regarded as the secondary central business district in metropolitan Sydney.
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The Rocks is a suburb, tourist precinct and historic area of Sydney's city centre, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the Sydney central business district.
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Francis Howard Greenway was an English-born architect who was transported to Australia as a convict for the crime of forgery. In New South Wales he worked for the Governor, Lachlan Macquarie, as Australia's first government architect. He became widely known and admired for his work displayed in buildings such as St Matthew's Church, St James' Church and Hyde Park Barracks.
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The City of Blue Mountains is a local government area of New South Wales, Australia, governed by the Blue Mountains City Council. The city is located in the Blue Mountains, on the Great Dividing Range at the far western fringe of the Greater Sydney area. Major settlements include, Katoomba, Lawson, Springwood and Blaxland.
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Millers Point is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the north-western edge of the Sydney central business district, adjacent to The Rocks and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney.
The Sydney Observatory is a heritage-listed meteorological station, astronomical observatory, function venue, science museum, and education facility located on Observatory Hill at Upper Fort Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of Millers Point in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by William Weaver (plans) and Alexander Dawson (supervision) and built from 1857 to 1859 by Charles Bingemann & Ebenezer Dewar. It is also known as The Sydney Observatory; Observatory; Fort Phillip; Windmill Hill; and Flagstaff Hill. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 December 2000.
Colonel Walter Liberty Vernon was an English architect who migrated to Australia and pursued his career as an architect in Sydney, New South Wales. In his role as the New South Wales Government Architect he is noted for designing multiple government buildings, many of which are extant with listings on national and state heritage registers.
Queens Square is a public square in central Sydney, Australia. The square is located at the junction of King Street with Phillip Street and Macquarie Street. It is bounded on the south by St James Road and Prince Albert Road.
Mortimer William Lewis was an English-born architect, surveyor and public servant who migrated to Australia and became Colonial Architect in the colony of New South Wales from 1835 to 1849. Lewis was responsible for designing and overseeing many government buildings in Sydney and rural New South Wales, many of which are heritage listed.
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Observatory Park is a park located in the heart of the Sydney central business district, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is near the Harbour Bridge and is bounded by Kent Street, Watson Road, Upper Fort Street and Bradfield Highway, Millers Point. Its history dates back to 1796 when it was used as the site of the first windmill in the colony, when it was known as Windmill Hill. It is also the site of a number of historical buildings including the historic Sydney Observatory, the Signal Station, the remains of Fort Philip, the National Trust Centre and a rotunda which is used for weddings.
21–23 Lower Fort Street, Millers Point are heritage-listed terrace houses located at 21–23 Lower Fort Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of Millers Point in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1832. It is also known as Nicholson's Houses. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.