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Home  Brisbane Suburbs SouthFort Lytton |
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| Were the guns fired in anger? |  |
No, but warning shots were fired during both World War 1 and World War 2 at vessels which didn’t comply with signals from the Fort’s defences.
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| Why did they build the Fort and why was it located here on the river? | |
The Fort was built in 1879-1881 to control access up the Brisbane River. A Controlled Minefield was laid in the Brisbane River and together with the Fort’s guns negated the potential Naval threat from other Imperial countries such as Russia and France.
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| What role did the Fort play during World War 2? | |
With the entry of Japan into the War the Fort became the Inner Examination Battery and by the use of the Defence Boom across the Brisbane River, a 4.7 inch Naval Gun and a Twin 6 Pounder Anti Motor Torpedo Boat Gun controlled access up the Brisbane River. The Defence Boom stretched from Bulwer Island to Fort Lytton and was designed to keep out midget submarines and other small craft thus protecting the largest Allied submarine base in the Southern Hemisphere located in the New Farm area.
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| Was the Fort used as a training base? | |
From 1881 until Federation members of the Queensland Defence Force used the Fort and surrounding area as their main training base. During the Boer War the 38 officers and 694 men of the Queensland Mounted Infantry, 70 officers and 1353 men of the Queensland Imperial Bushmen and 37 officers and 716 men of the Australian Commonwealth Horse completed most of their training here. In World War 1 Fort Lytton and the Enoggera area were the two main training bases in Brisbane and during the early years of World War 2 the area was used as a training base for heavy artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, searchlight and signal units. In March 1942 up to 2, 000 18 and 19 year old men were camped and engaged in training at Fort Lytton. In May of that year 1, 000 of these soldiers were transferred to the new training camp at Tabragalba in the Beaudesert district.
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| Who were the soldiers? | |
It depends on the era. It was a mixture of volunteers, militia, permanent soldiers and during the two World Wars men of the 1st and 2nd Australian Imperial Forces.
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| Did any women serve at the Fort? | |
Yes. During the latter stages of World War 2 members of the Australian Women’s Army Service manned the observation and signalling equipment for the operation of the Twin 6 Pounder. On Signal Hill members of the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force worked in the Radar Station and members of the Royal Australian Army Signal Corp worked alongside their male counterparts.
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| I think that my grandfather might have been here in the Army. How would I find out for sure? | |
Contact the Fort Lytton Guides and if they can’t help they will inform you of other avenues of research.
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| Are the guns still fired and if so, when? | |
The Living History Groups fire the guns on several occasions throughout the year. You can check the calender of events for the next firing.
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| What is the simple difference between a cannon and a gun? | |
A cannon is a smooth bore weapon that fired projectiles called cannonballs. A gun has rifling in the barrel and fires a projectile called a shell.
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| Is it possible to book out the Fort for private events (eg. weddings)? | |
Yes it is. You can make initial inquiries with the Ranger in Charge on telephone (07) 3393 4647.
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