Flagstaff Hill Fort, Military fort at Flagstaff Point, Wollongong, Australia

Flagstaff Hill Fort is a former military fort at Flagstaff Point in Wollongong, built between 1890 and 1891 with a disappearing gun emplacement. Its face brick walls were dug into the hill and then covered with earth. A concrete pit near the summit held a 6-inch gun, and underground rooms protected ammunition and gunners.

In 1879 the steamship Havilah landed three 4.6-tonne 68-pounder cannon at Wollongong Harbour against a possible Russian attack; they sat unmounted for 18 months before volunteer artillery placed them as an inner battery in 1880. By the mid-1880s these guns were outranged, so a 6-inch gun was installed in a concrete pit near the summit in 1890. The fort, with its disappearing gun emplacement, brick-faced tunnels and earth cover, was built in 1890–1891; the gun was first fired in 1892 and served until 1907.

The 68-pounder cannon landed from the steamship Havilah in 1879 lay by the harbour for 18 months without mountings or ammunition before a local volunteer artillery group placed them as an inner battery in 1880. Endeavour Drive now covers that original gun position.

The fort sits next to Wollongong Head Lighthouse, allowing visitors to explore both military and maritime history in one location. The hilltop position offers good views across the harbor, making the visit rewarding.

The fort had two range finder positions that allowed operators to measure distances and aim at targets on the water with great accuracy. This advanced technology was rare for the time and made the location a key defense point.