Sydney’s undercover wartime lookout post reopens after ‘labour of love’

Using a few black and white wartime photos and the skills of volunteers, a Second World War observation post at North Head Sanctuary in Manly has been completely refurbished.

The post, used as a lookout for enemy shipping from North Head, was abandoned, empty and crumbling with concrete cancer. Now at no cost, apart from the remedial concrete treatment, it has been returned to its former glory and will open to the public later this year.

Observation posts were essential components of Australia’s military installations at a time when there were concerns about Sydney’s vulnerability to potential naval attack.

This led to the construction of the North Fort Battery consisting of two 9.2-inch guns interlinked via a tunnel system, secret integrated plotting rooms and the two observation posts.

The battery’s observation post was equipped with an optical depression finder that could produce target bearing, range and speed data sent to the plotting room by cables buried underground to protect them in the event of shelling.

The Sydney Harbour Trust, with help from volunteers such as Tony Booth, have refurbished the North Fort Battery at North Head, Manly.Credit: Nick Moir

Volunteer Peter Lawrence, a retired artillery officer, said the building was empty, having been decommissioned and that the volunteers worked from wartime photos to recreate the interior. The brief from the Harbour Trust was to restore the inside but to do nothing to damage the historical aspect of the building.

“The photos helped us work out the layout of the building,” Lawrence said. “We put a scale on the photos and then measured the real world with markings on the wall to work out the height and dimensions of the furniture. The range finding was on a semicircular table and we had an original at a sister battery but it was too big and we couldn’t get it into the bunker so we had to create one ourselves.

“The volunteers replaced the blast door and all the windows. The only thing missing is a camouflage net over the building but we think it would detract from the public’s perspective.

“It was a two-year labour of love. We are proud [of what we have done]. The Harbour Trust is a great place to volunteer, we would be interested to hear from anyone else who would like to join us.”

The North Fort Battery at North Head, Manly in 1944.Credit: Australian War Memorial

Janet Carding, executive director at the Sydney Harbour Trust said a group of people were based at the observatory and their job was to look out for ships.

“If they saw something, they would do some calculations about the range and the bearing, which would be sent to the plotting room and then transferred to the artillery guns,” she said.

“Finally, people will now be able to understand how the whole thing worked together.

“The volunteers have done an incredible job. The concrete cancer remediation cost $200,000, but I can’t put a figure on what the volunteers have done. It is a bespoke piece of carpentry, restoration and decoration. We have opened up a route through so that soon we will be able to take people inside with guided tours but they can go and have a look from the outside from today.

“There are fantastic views over the water, we can only imagine what it would have been like during the Second World War. This was part of the defence system but it was rarely called into action. There was only one recorded incident of an actual firing and it turned out not to be an enemy ship.”

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.