Fort Taiaroa (Including six-inch Armstrong Hydropneumatic Gun and Underground Chambers)

Harrington Point Road (End), Taiaroa Head

  • Fort Taiaroa (Including six-inch Armstrong Hydropneumatic Gun and Underground Chambers), Taiaroa Head. CC BY-NC 2.0 Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
    Copyright: Ben Hill - Wikimedia Commons. Taken By: Ben Hill. Date: 8/05/2006.
  • Fort Taiaroa (Including six-inch Armstrong Hydropneumatic Gun and Underground Chambers), Taiaroa Head. CC BY-NC 2.0 Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
    Copyright: Ben Hill - Wikimedia Commons. Taken By: Ben Hill. Date: 8/05/2006.

List Entry Information

List Entry Status Listed List Entry Type Historic Place Category 1 Public Access Private/No Public Access
List Number 369 Date Entered 25th November 1982 Date of Effect 25th November 1982

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City/District Council

Dunedin City

 Region

Otago Region
Legal description

Secs 71,72,73 Blk II Portobello SD

Summaryopen/close

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1980. The following text is the original citation considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration.

The Russian war scares of the 1880s caused the New Zealand Government to erect batteries overlooking the harbours of the four main centres. The strategic position at Taiaroa Head gave excellent control over ships approaching Otago Harbour. Local stone was used by prison labour with outstanding skill to form the underground galleries and storage for the gun emplacement. The six-inch Armstrong hydro-pneumatic disappearing gun is still in sound condition except for incomplete breech mechanism. Fort Taiaroa is an excellent example for a military fortification of a bygone era and in its dramatic siting is most worthy of preservation.

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Additional informationopen/close

Notable Features

Six-inch Armstrong Hydropneumatic Gun & Underground Chambers

Construction Dates

Original Construction
1880 -

Other Information

In 2013 the restored six-inch Armstrong Hydropneumatic Gun won a rare international award from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, in the United Kingdom

Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.