Adelaide. Semaphore. Parachutist near Fort Glanville . This first South Australian Fort was built in 1880.
Crimean War Cannons in Adelaide.
At the conclusion of the Crimean War the Treaty of Paris specially mentioned war trophies as they were considered of great importance. 1,165 Russian cannons and guns were taken with the fall of Sebastopol and Britain kept these. They distributed them to towns and cities throughout Britain and the colonies. The cannons were to be distributed
to the Australian colonies (and elsewhere) according to their contribution to the Patriotic Fund which helped the British government fund the War. Each colony, except WA was awarded two Russian Cannons. SA’s two cannons arrived in 1859 and were placed in the Botanic Gardens. They had some ceremonial use including a welcome to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1867. They were then moved to the Armoury on North Terrace and one was fired daily at noon to mark the time in the 19th century. In 1901 one of the cannons was moved to the Torrens Parade Ground and the second joined it around 1931. These cannons remain in good condition as they were mounted on a cast iron base instead of the usual wood carriage base. Both were cast under the direction of Alexander Foullon at the Alexandrovski foundry and they both carry the double eagle symbol of the Russian Tsar.
Fort Glanville.
The construction of Fort Glanville in 1878 and its completion in 1880 was a direct consequence of the Crimean War. Australian colonies saw a possible Russian invasion as a threat. In 1871 Russia established its Pacific Fleet at Vladivostok near Japan. Russia had imperial hopes. In that same year all British troops were withdrawn from all Australian colonies. Defence was seen as a major issue. Russia had not accepted its defeat in the Crimean War easily and it sought to get control of the Black Sea from the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire and to regain lost territories or gain new ones. In the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 the Russians defeated the Ottomans and drove them out of Eastern Europe (Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania etc.) after 500 years of Ottoman occupation. Europe felt threatened by this war and although Britain was not directly involved in the war Britain sent a fleet to protect Constantinople and intimidate the Russians and to make them accept a truce from the Ottoman Empire. That same year – 1878 – SA passed a defensive act to establish three coastal forts in case of Russian sea attack at Glenelg, Semaphore and Largs Bay. In 1878 SA also passed the Military Forces Act to establish the first permanent armed forces. The governor of the day Sir William Jervois designed Fort Glanville with another British officer. A road was planned to link the three forts and was named appropriately Military Road. Glenelg fort was never built; the first completed fort was Glanville in 1880; and Largs Bay fort was completed in 1884. Much later Fort Largs became the SA Police training Academy and the fort remains at that site. Not one shot was ever fired from forts Glanville or Largs Bay in defence. Fort Glanville was built in a crescent shaped with 220 cms concrete and brick walls and huge cannons with a firing range of 6,000 metres. The guns were pointed to the ocean. After it closed it was used for military detention, depression housing, scout accommodation etc. More recently Fort Glanville was declared a state park. Fort Glanville was designed to protect the jetty at Semaphore which was the main disembarking point for passengers and mail from Britain; Glenelg was designed to be an early warning fort; and Fort Largs was designed to protect the entry to the colony’s major port at Port Adelaide. Largs and Glanville closed in 1901 when the Commonwealth took over all responsibility for defence.
Adelaide. Semaphore. Parachutist near Fort Glanville . This first South Australian Fort was built in 1880.
Crimean War Cannons in Adelaide.
At the conclusion of the Crimean War the Treaty of Paris specially mentioned war trophies as they were considered of great importance. 1,165 Russian cannons and guns were taken with the fall of Sebastopol and Britain kept these. They distributed them to towns and cities throughout Britain and the colonies. The cannons were to be distributed
to the Australian colonies (and elsewhere) according to their contribution to the Patriotic Fund which helped the British government fund the War. Each colony, except WA was awarded two Russian Cannons. SA’s two cannons arrived in 1859 and were placed in the Botanic Gardens. They had some ceremonial use including a welcome to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1867. They were then moved to the Armoury on North Terrace and one was fired daily at noon to mark the time in the 19th century. In 1901 one of the cannons was moved to the Torrens Parade Ground and the second joined it around 1931. These cannons remain in good condition as they were mounted on a cast iron base instead of the usual wood carriage base. Both were cast under the direction of Alexander Foullon at the Alexandrovski foundry and they both carry the double eagle symbol of the Russian Tsar.
Fort Glanville.
The construction of Fort Glanville in 1878 and its completion in 1880 was a direct consequence of the Crimean War. Australian colonies saw a possible Russian invasion as a threat. In 1871 Russia established its Pacific Fleet at Vladivostok near Japan. Russia had imperial hopes. In that same year all British troops were withdrawn from all Australian colonies. Defence was seen as a major issue. Russia had not accepted its defeat in the Crimean War easily and it sought to get control of the Black Sea from the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire and to regain lost territories or gain new ones. In the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 the Russians defeated the Ottomans and drove them out of Eastern Europe (Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania etc.) after 500 years of Ottoman occupation. Europe felt threatened by this war and although Britain was not directly involved in the war Britain sent a fleet to protect Constantinople and intimidate the Russians and to make them accept a truce from the Ottoman Empire. That same year – 1878 – SA passed a defensive act to establish three coastal forts in case of Russian sea attack at Glenelg, Semaphore and Largs Bay. In 1878 SA also passed the Military Forces Act to establish the first permanent armed forces. The governor of the day Sir William Jervois designed Fort Glanville with another British officer. A road was planned to link the three forts and was named appropriately Military Road. Glenelg fort was never built; the first completed fort was Glanville in 1880; and Largs Bay fort was completed in 1884. Much later Fort Largs became the SA Police training Academy and the fort remains at that site. Not one shot was ever fired from forts Glanville or Largs Bay in defence. Fort Glanville was built in a crescent shaped with 220 cms concrete and brick walls and huge cannons with a firing range of 6,000 metres. The guns were pointed to the ocean. After it closed it was used for military detention, depression housing, scout accommodation etc. More recently Fort Glanville was declared a state park. Fort Glanville was designed to protect the jetty at Semaphore which was the main disembarking point for passengers and mail from Britain; Glenelg was designed to be an early warning fort; and Fort Largs was designed to protect the entry to the colony’s major port at Port Adelaide. Largs and Glanville closed in 1901 when the Commonwealth took over all responsibility for defence.