Auckland's Coastal Defences

Auckland was the first city in NZ to receive fortifications. This was in the form of Fort Britomart and was originally built in the 1840s. It went through a few other developments but was ultimately abandoned. Little else was done till the 1880s when a number of forts were built in reply to a 'Russian Scare'. Fortifications were sited at Point Resolution and North Head. With the introduction of new breech loaders mounted on disappearing carriages, new works were under taken and in some cases the previous works were modified. Fortifications were begun on Point Bastion and at Takapuna as well as further construction at North Head. Finally in the 1890s the final fort of the period was built at Mount Victoria. Auckland's forts have largely survived the years, but many of these establishments were in continuous use by the military, hence many of them have been modified over the years.

In 1904 the RML guns were declared obsolete. This meant the total abandonment of Fort Resolution and the removal of a number of guns from North Head. Around 1910 work began on a new emplacement for a new set of 6-inch guns at North Head. There was little else done in Auckland, the older batteries were manned during the First World War, but were abandoned or scrapped by 1924. Some minor work was also carried out for smaller quick firing guns. Then in the 1930s it was decided to emplace some new counter-bombardment guns at Motutapu Island. Finally during the Second World War the final phase of fort building began. It started with the removal of the North Head guns out to the Whangaparoa Peninsula, where it was felt they would be of more use. Another 6-inch battery was built at Castor Bay. Finally, two 9.2-inch batteries were built at Waiheke Island and at Whangaparoa. After the war the defences had a brief reprieve with the introduction of Compulsory Military Training, until in 1957 when the coastal defences were scrapped.