Part 1

Battle Plans – The Fortifications of Port Phillip Bay and the Victorian Navy

In this, the second article of this series, I will discuss the Victorian Navy and the fortifications of Port Phillip Bay. As we have seen in Part 1, peace may have brought plenty to the Colony, but it also bought a degree of paranoia. As a result the Victorians built an extensive system of fortifications in addition to buying themselves a Navy.

Topography

Port Phillip Bay is of very considerable extent, and opens into the dangerous waters of Bass Strait via the Rip, a complicated and fast-flowing tidal race some 3km wide.

Within Port Phillip, there are only three practical channels that take ships into the inner harbour. From the west they are; West Channel, usable to ships with a draught of less than 6 metres, which has the most direct route North into Melbourne; Symonds Channel which is usable to ships with a draught of less than 5.50 metres and; South Channel: this last could be used by ships drawing less than 7.50 metres of water.

At the very northern part of the Bay, lies Hobsons Bay. Hobsons bay is defined by the elevated peninsula of Williamstown to the west and by the low, flat salient formed by Point Ormond to the east.

Along the West coast are the towns of Warrnambool, Port Fairy (known in earlier times as Belfast) and finally Portland. These towns were all important in the coastal trade that flourished before railways were driven along the coast.

To the east of Port Phillip lies Westernport Bay. In the bay are; French Island to the north and Phillip Island to the south. The principal town on the western shore is Hastings.

Illustrations by Amy Geddes (agdesign@alphalink.com.au)

To War? What if the Russians Came? Defending Melbourne in 1885

Part 2: Topography
Part 2: Fortifications and the Navy
Part 2: The Fleet
Part 2: Arms and Equipment: Guns
Part 2: Arms and Equipment: Ships

Part 1: Defending Melbourne in 1885

Part 3: Defending Melbourne in 1885: Victorian Military Forces