The team working on the FORTRESS NEWCASTLE project is growing. We welcomed Bernie from FIGHTERWORLD to the team recently, and this week we welcome Bill and Laraine from Rathmines Catalina Association to the project. The team visited Rathmines and the worksite of the CATALINA restoration project. This will be an important and exciting attraction when it is installed at the former RAAF flying boat base at Rathmines. The team also visited the Anti-aircraft gun emplacement site at Wangi that protected the Rathmines base during the war. These are two of the sites that will be valuable parts of the Fortress Newcastle trail.
Catalina under restoration Terry from RCA explains the restoration and installation of the two Catalina engines. Bill lead us on a tour of the Rathmines site. One of the 4 gun emplacements at Wangi. Laraine explains the work being carried out to conserve the Wangi gun emplacements.

On 17 August members of the Fortress Newcastle team conducted the first field trip to remnant sites in the region of military installations of FORTRESS NEWCASTLE. This consisted of an inspection of the 131 Radar Station at Ash Island, followed by a visit to Fighterworld at Williamtown, the site of the RAAF Air Force Base. More field trips to all the remaining sites are planned for the near future. Research and information gathering on all Civil and Military activities is progressing well.

30 September 2019 was an important day in the Newcastle Steelmaking history.
It was commemorated by two open days at the site. Sunday 29th and Monday 30th September saw hundreds of past workers and their families visit Delprat's Cottage, the Muster Point sculpture and the Steelworkers memorial. Closure Manager Lance Hockridge returned to cut a commemorative cake to recognise the occasion. It was good to see so many past faces.

In October 2019 members of NIHA visited the Denman Heritage Village. They have an amazing collection of almost every type and model of machine ever built. NIHA will be supporting DHV to bring this collection to the public.

An important first step in NIHA's new project - FORTRESS NEWCASTLE, was to visit another of the unused military sites from WW11.
Fort Wallace will eventually become open to the public and will make an exciting stopover on the 'Fortress Newcastle Trail'.
We will soon start featuring some of the amazing stories of how the 'Newcastle Industrial Hub', protected by 'Fortress Newcastle', was such a critical part of the war effort to save Australia.

plan of tunnels at Fort Wallace

the team in the 9in gun pit 29 Nov 19

guided tour of the site