Continuing journey through Sandy Bay in Hobart, Tasmania. Visiting the abandoned Fort Nelson and Dorney House. Patreon www.patreon.com/user?u=5186695 Instagram / angusthornett Twitter X / angusthornett
you're so very lucky to have such present day historical archaeological sites available to freely visit. We have a similar thing her in Victoria at Point Nepean but thats been trodden to death.This was a great revelation to your local history. Keep it comming.
Me and my dog would love a wander around there! Thanks again for a great video Angus, we're so lucky to live here in beautiful Tasmania. You and the dog are cultural treasures 👍🙂
Learned more history from you today thank you Angus. I’m very glad the land wasn’t sold to developers. I’d love to see it. Glad you got permission to show it to us 😊
Thanks Angus. Yesterday I walked from the shot tower to Kingston return (Alum Cliffs track) and then on the way back home drove up Gardenia Grove off Churchill Av to check access. Next time I’ll walk up the track/road from there to look at the place and surrounds; now that I know I’m ‘allowed’.
Another video treat ! Marvelous ! Dreadfully ironic that Lord Kitchener died in June, 1916, aboard the HMS Hampshire, just west of the Orkneys, the vessel being sunk by U-boat 75. Kitchener being headed to confer with who else but one of the Empire’s closest allies up until 1917…Tsarist Russia ! His death was regarded as something of a catastrophe throughout the British Empire, of which Hobart was, of course, then a stalwart outpost of. And doubtless was received in Tasmania with a good deal of dismay.
Ha I remember riding my bike around 25 maybe 30years ago up there and coming across that bunker. I remember it’s got those 2 concrete beds you mentioned and the old news papers. Also remember blowing out that the power was still connected and the light and light switch worked Did you open the lid?
Ha I remember riding my bike around 25 maybe 30years ago up there and coming across that bunker. Did you open the lid? I remember it’s got those 2 concrete beds you mentioned and the old news papers. Also remember blowing out that the power was still connected and the light and light switch worked
Great video. I was lucky enough to be able to walk through Dorney House, as well as two small huts Esmond Dorney designed down in Taroona (and currently up for sale) as part of Open House Hobart last year. Absolutely stunning, even in their state of disrepair.
You are wonderful with your gentle narrative which consistently contrasts something or someone amazing with the land and bush of Tasmania. Thank you for the effort you are putting into this series. We are appreciative, as you can tell from the comments. 😊
Whilst working for Hobart City Council 3 years ago I did get to go up and have a look at those buildings, took some photos from outside, some of the areas around the old Fort have been used by Dark Mofo in the past IIRC, its a fascinating location and an absolute pain to get to - Thanks for this video, learned even more about the previous use of the site.
I have some very vague memories of the 1949 structure going there with my father in the early 1960s' to replace a faulty appliance. I can remember that the gun emplacement inside the building that can be seen in the drone footage of the house was a conversation pit and being utterly impressed with the view (the surrounding trees were not as high as now).
@@angusthornett Unfortunately my father was there for work and certainly no photographs. I don't think the interior was luxurious in any way, comfortable and elegant and quite simple but so very different to anything else in Hobart at the time.
Nice work you guys. Some photos I’d never seen. The concrete underground tank was just that. In the late 50’s the Uni asked Edmond for permission to set up a seismograph here. For many years they had to retrieve the graphs manually so travelled up every day. The poles were added at that time to provide electricity for the seismograph. Edmond also had his office just above there- an old tram. Vandals torched it with a lot of his records lost. Cheers
Angus. Another trip down memory lane for me. Thank you for the excellent vision and description. That tank that you were standing upon at one stage; I have an idea that was in fact a septic tank, but that is my guess alone. I recall my Uncle telling me that as a school cadet, or what ever they were known as prrior to WW1 used to attend Fort nelson as he was a signaller, I seem to recall seeing a photograph similar to the one you depicted. Another job well done!
The iron poles may have been for power, but equally could have been for communications. Prior to the 1967 fires most telephone lines in Tasmania were above ground. I have been in the 1949 building (or possibly a post fire reconstruction since lost again), and visited Mrs Dorney in the main house - which was much nicer when occupied - and enjoyed chatting with and taking in the views.. She also used to rent out the 'underground' section between the two gun emplacement sites, as accommodation.
I’m thinking that the steel or iron poles are for lighting, and that concrete tank is a septic tank. The metal mystery is probably the septic vent. There’s plenty of water tanks fed off those large huts, in the photo, which would make sense.
Another great Story, Thanks Angus That thing with the pipe our of it that you think may be water storage, the pipe made me think of a septic tank. That tribar thing looks to be in abit to good a condition to date back then and reminds me of something to do with cooking over an open fire.
That thing you thought was to hold water is actually a bunker or bomb shelter. I went inside it about 25 years ago. There was wooden furniture inside that must have been put in before the roof was constructed. There was a bong on the table. Is it locked now?
Not long after I'd moved to Tasmania, and specifically to Mt Nelson, I was exploring the trails around the mountain. I stumbled upon Fort Nelson and Dorney House quite by accident. It was a weekday, so there was no one around. It was quite the find, having had no knowledge of it beforehand.
I attended a wedding up there in the early 70s, in the house that was burnt down. Huge lounge room with different level floor areas, covered with white carpet.
Another wonderful presentation Angus. What a beautiful spot! Was it hard to get permission to wander around up there? Russian cannons to defend against Russian ships….like spending billions on subs to defend us from our biggest trading partner, China.
I know after the council rezoned the land for non-housing they would only pay the Dorney family for its value post rezoning. This led to a long dispute.
Enjoyed the video but so many questions...what are the buildings next to Dorney House? They look like they're in pretty good nick. A friend on mine is a Dorney and they have a "shack" that Esmond Dorney designed and built over on the eastern side of the Derwent. The photos I've seen of that house look like a small version of this house. In terms of that bunker, just by the look of it I suspect it is storage for primers, fuses or other explosives and therefore that funny looking vent may be a blast relief vent. But that's all complete speculation on my part.
