Hobart’s colonial and later Australian defences were built around the River Derwent. Batteries moved and changed as artillery range, harbour use and perceived threats changed.

Early batteries near the town

Mulgrave, Prince of Wales and Queen’s batteries protected the anchorage from sites close to the growing settlement. Most were removed or absorbed into later public spaces, so archaeological records and interpretation matter as much as visible walls.

Battery Point and central Hobart beside the Derwent
Early batteries stood close to the colonial town and harbour.Phil Whitehouse, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A cross-river network

Alexandra Battery at Sandy Bay and Kangaroo Bluff Battery at Bellerive were completed in 1885. Their positions supported a wider system of guns, magazines, observation points and searchlights.

Bellerive waterfront across the River Derwent
Kangaroo Bluff formed the eastern side of the later defence network.Owen Allen, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Visit surviving places carefully

Alexandra Battery and Kangaroo Bluff can be viewed from public reserves, but enclosed structures, drops and masonry require care. Follow local signs and never enter locked or unsafe spaces.

Combine the sites with Battery Point, Bellerive and the Hobart architectural walk.