What was reason to built Fort Denison in Sydney Harbour and fort on Bare Island? Against whose possible threat?
Any help from our Australians memebers? Thanks!
Fort Denison was specifically designed and built to help protect the port of Sydney from Imperial Russian attack. You must remember British sentiment at the time felt Imperial Russia was the great threat to British dominance.
Forts and gun batteries inside the harbour were the main defence hope of the colony. More extensive forifications appeared in the 20th Century. Try Bunkers, Tunnels, Fortifications In Australia During World War 2, for more information.
Regards Digger
Exactly! 
I just could not beleive my own eyes when I read it first. It looked like an attempt to present Ozzies in a bad light.
I am actually impressed how much money was wasted for no reason at all! It’s incredible!
The guy who made desicion to built the forts should had been put in court.
Different times back then. Remember Australia was a British colony and all decisions regarding the security of the seperate colonies were made in London with some input from the various state govenors.
I think you would find most nations at the time would have had similar fortifications, especially with the growing size and power of warships.
Today many of these coastal forts dotted around Sydney are open for public inspection. Probably of more interest, but less known are the bunkers, shelters and command posts etc built during WWII and during the Cold War. It’s only in the last ten years the old blast curtains and entrance to the large public air raid shelter at St James station in Sydney have been closed off. There are more down there, but who knows how many?
Regards digger.
You have to remember that Australia was a British colony in a vast land with a tiny population centred in a few coastal cities hundreds of miles from each other at a time when there was British suspicion about French, Russian and even American intentions.
Much of the land was unexplored.
The French had been snooping around the coast for years.
The Crimean War caused much anxiety in Australia. Here is a good summary of relevant aspects. http://www.argo.net.au/andre/AusCrimeaENFIN.htm
For more recent fortifications, http://home.brisnet.com.au/~dunn/bunkers/bunkersetc.htm