Early History of Victoria Barracks

Australia's military history began in 1788 with the arrival at Sydney Cove of the First Fleet and, along with it, a detachment of British Marines.Their purpose was to keep surveillance over transported convicts from the United Kingdom to New South Wales and to form a military establishment on shore to preserve order and protect the settlement against the natives.

Initially, the Marines had been accommodated in tents along the western side of the Tank Stream, near what is now the intersection of George and Grosvenor Streets. Work began on the construction of better quarters in George Street in February 1788; however progress was slow due to the convicts' lack of enthusiasm, a shortage of skilled labour and the refusal of the Marines to oversee the convicts' work.

By 1791 the Marines' tour of duty was coming to an end. That year the Second Fleet brought two companies of the New South Wales Corps, a new unit tailored specifically for service in the colony. The soldiers were known as the Botany Bay Rangers, and later the Rum Corps. The Corps was regarded as "the most powerful single internal influence over the colony" who, in 1808, arrested and deposed Governor Bligh. As a consequence, in December 1809, the New South Wales Corps was removed from the colony, renamed as the 102nd Regiment and replaced by the 73rd Regiment.

The new Governor, Lachlan Macquarie, was appalled by the appearance and living conditions of Sydney. Committed to a public works programme, Macquarie decided to replace the original George Street Barracks (completed in 1792) with a building designed along approved military lines. Additions to the buildings meant that the barracks were not completed until 1810.

By 1815 a large wall had sprung up around the barracks the object of which, according to Macquarie, was to restrict the interaction of the soldiers with the local population. In his book, Sydney's Highways of History, Geoffrey Scott describes the barracks:

Along the Western side of George Street, between Barrack Lane [Barracks Street] and another lane just north of Margaret Street, and enclosing the whole space between George Street and Clarence Street, ran the grim line of the barrack wall. Ten feet high and two feet thick, the wall was built of blocks of squared stone and pierced by four gates, one on each side of the rectangle. It looked like an enormous fortress in the heart of Sydney, dominating by its presence alone the atmosphere of the town.

In 1836, Governor Bourke appointed a Board of Officers to consider a new location for the barracks. The primary reasons were that the old barracks were in need of repairs and there was a shortage of land in the centre of the town.

After much consideration, two sites were selected: Grose Farm (the area now occupied by the University of Sydney) and the reserve on South Head Road (now Oxford Street). The Board finally selected the site on South Head Road. Its main benefits were its remoteness from the centre of town, its unsuitability for agricultural purposes (mostly sand), proximity to good drinking water from Busby's Bore and the availability of sandstone for the buildings.

On Monday 8th February 1841, work began on Victoria Barracks and was eventually completed in 1848 when the Barracks was first occupied by the 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot.

The Barrack block was completed in 1846 and is said to be the largest stone building still in use in the Southern Hemisphere. Measuring 742 feet (226.15m) the barracks was designed to accommodate 650 soldiers, with the central part of the building, on either side of the archway consisting of and orderly room, regimental store, school room, library, sergeants' mess and mess larder. The bell and clock were added in 1856. The archway is referred to as Royal Engineers Arch. There are countless marks on the sandstone where soldiers struck 'lucifers' to light their pipes and there are some indentations in some doorways where they sharpened their bayonets and knives in the sandstone.

In 1885, the Barracks was the assembly point for the preparation and departure of troops to the Sudan. On 3rd March 1885, 200,000 citizens of Sydney lined the streets to cheer the members of artillery, infantry and ambulance detachments who had been selected as the first British colony to send troops in support of the Mother Country. Victoria Barracks also served as a staging point during the Boer War when New South Wales contributed 6,000 soldiers as part of a 16,000 strong contingent aiding the British in their fight against the Boer in South Africa.

Post Federation History of the Barracks

At the time of Federation in 1901, the barracks was transferred to the Commonwealth. It was the Headquarters Eastern Command and the home to regular army and Citizens Military Forces (CMF) units.

The barracks also became Administrative Headquarters during the First and Second World Wars.

Victoria Barracks has been the home of Land Headquarters since 1987 and the home of Headquarters Training Command - Army since April 2004 and continues to be both a working army base and a tangible reminder of the rich military history of New South Wales.

Sources: The Australian Army, A History of its Organisation - 1901 - 2001, Albert Palazzo - OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2001

From Sydney Cove to Paddington Hill - The Story of Victoria Barracks, John F Kreckler - THE ARMY MUSEUM SOCIETY (VICTORIA BARRACKS NSW) INCORPORATED

Photos: The Australian War Memorial http://www.awm.gov.au/