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Fort Ballance

1880s architecture in New Zealand1885 establishments in New Zealand1911 disestablishments in New ZealandBuildings and structures in Wellington CityCoastal fortifications
Forts in New ZealandHeritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in the Wellington RegionMilitary installations closed in 1911Military installations established in 1885New Zealand Army
Fort Ballance 11
Fort Ballance 11

Fort Ballance is a former coastal artillery battery on Point Gordon on Wellington's Miramar Peninsula. Built in 1885 following fears of an impending war with Russia, Fort Ballance is one of the best preserved of a string of nineteenth century coastal fortifications constructed to protect New Zealand from naval attack. In 1885, the Government, reluctantly acknowledging that they could not rely solely on Britain for protection, commissioned engineer Major Henry Cautley to design a series of fortifications to protect the country's main ports. The Fortress is listed as a Category I Historic Place. Fort Ballance was the premier fort in the Wellington area for 26 years (1885-1911). Used by the military over a period of 60 years (1885-1945), the 1880s layout of Fort Ballance is largely unaltered and a good impression of the original nineteenth century fort remains. The fort is a permanent reminder of the technology used in the coastal defence network of the 1880s and it is an early example of the use of concrete as a building material.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Fort Ballance (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Fort Ballance
Walkway from Scorching Bay to Fort Ballance, Wellington Karaka Bay

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N -41.294625 ° E 174.83443055556 °
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Fort Ballance

Walkway from Scorching Bay to Fort Ballance
Wellington, Karaka Bay
Wellington, New Zealand
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Fort Ballance 11
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Steeple Rock
Steeple Rock

Steeple Rock/Te Aroaro-o-Kupe is a large rock off Seatoun at the west of the entrance to Wellington Harbour, rising 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. The rock plays a role in warning ships off the coast. It is the location of a marine light and an unbeaconed trig station (‘Steeple Rock Light’, geodetic code B0XX). Its Māori name is Te Aroaro-o-Kupe (The front of Kupe or The presence of Kupe). The name was officially changed in 2009 from the English "Steeple Rock" to the current dual name of Steeple Rock/Te Aroaro-o-Kupe as part of the 2009 Treaty of Waitangi settlement between Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika and the New Zealand government. The previous Māori name of the rock was Te Ure o Kupe (The penis of Kupe). Kupe, the legendary discoverer of Aotearoa, is said to have injured himself on the rock while swimming. In earlier times Steeple Rock was also known as Pinnacle Rock. This should not be confused with The Pinnacles, a group of rocks extending from the tip of Point Dorset, south of Steeple Rock.While Steeple Rock is not as much of a hazard to shipping as Barrett Reef to the south, several ships have got into trouble around the rock, for example: 1844 Royal William, sloop. Got stuck and had to be pulled off Steeple Rock. 1874 Anne Melhuish, barque. Got stuck at Steeple Rock. 1889 Willie McLaren, barque. Damaged when it hit a rock near Steeple Rock. Took on water, so the captain took the ship to Worser Bay where it sank. 1921 Rona, barque. Ran aground on Steeple Rock. Refloated and repaired. 1968 TEV Wahine, inter-island passenger ferry. The Wahine struck Barrett Reef and then drifted north until she foundered near Steeple Rock. 53 lives lost.