Smiths Hill Fort, Military fortification in North Wollongong, Australia

Smiths Hill Fort is a military fortification in North Wollongong featuring concrete gun emplacements, observation posts, and underground rooms positioned on elevated ground overlooking the harbor. The restored site displays two reinstalled cannons alongside informative signs that explain the military structures and their defensive functions.

Smiths Hill Fort was built between 1891 and 1893 as a deterrent against a possible Russian attack on Wollongong Harbour. The Wollongong-Bulli Half Company maintained it and used it extensively for company training. In 1946 the fort was filled with rubble and dirt; it was dug out and restored in 1988, when two cannons were restored and reinstalled.

The fort was maintained by the Wollongong-Bulli Half Company, which used it for company training. Its alternative name, Wollongong Fort, ties it to the harbour it was built to protect. Visitors can see two RML 80-pound guns and a 1½-inch Nordenfelt quick-firing gun on site.

The site is easily reached by walking along established paths and visitors can move around on foot to see the various structures. Comfortable walking shoes are advisable due to uneven terrain and exposed areas on the hilltop.

The fort was filled with rubble and dirt in 1946, not after the war, and it was dug out and restored in 1988 by local efforts, not archaeologists. Two cannons were restored and reinstalled at the fort during that work.