Fort Denison

Fort Denison is a small former military site in the middle of Sydney Harbour. On one end of the tiny island sits Australia's only Martello tower. The island is where the Harbour's tidal movements are measured, as they have been from 1857. At one o'clock every day a cannon fires to mark the hour.

In the early days of white settlement, in the late 18th century, the island was used as a solitary confinement facility for prisoners, and where prisoners convicted of further crimes were hung and gibbetted. The fort was added in the mid-19th century, soon after two American warships sneaked into the Harbour unannounced and concerns were raised about the lack of defences. With the Crimean War dragging on there were worries that Russian warships could enter as easily as the Americans had.

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