Coastal fortifications in South Australia – Fact sheet 91

South Australia's colonial defences

South Australia's major defences before 1901 comprised the following facilities:

• the forts at Largs and Glanville, both located on the coast facing into Gulf St Vincent (the forts were linked by the Military Road from Glenelg to Largs);
• the Torpedo Station on Port River; and
• the cruiser Protector, which was in service from 1884. The Protector was transferred to the Commonwealth defence service on Federation in 1901.

The military installations also played some part in the 1914–18 and 1939–45 wars. Fort Glanville has been restored and is now a popular Adelaide tourist attraction.

Records relating to colonial defence fortifications in South Australia

The National Archives office in Adelaide holds a range of records relating to Fort Glanville and Fort Largs, and more limited information on the Port River Torpedo Station. Minutes of the colonial Defence Committee and annual returns of military and naval resources of the colony are also held. Details of records held are provided in the table below. Log books for the Protector from 1884 until it was decommissioned from the Royal Australian Navy in 1921 are held in our Sydney office.

Plans, drawings and photographs

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Original drawings, plans and prints of National Estate properties	1847–1980	D1051
	Army record books – Forts Largs and Malta	1878–1958	AP69/1
	Miscellaneous maps, documents, books and correspondence – Forts Glanville and Largs	1881–1961	AP161/1

Policy and administrative records

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Notes on Colonial Defence Scheme by the Colonial Defence Committee of the Colonial Office	1886–93	AP613/8
	Annual returns of military and naval resources of the colony of South Australia	1887–1914	AP613/6
	Defence Committee minute book	1894–1901	AP39/1
	Port Adelaide Torpedo station	1916–29	A569, B1925/2573
	Obsolete 6 inch guns – Fort Largs	1928–29	D845, 1928/48

Records held in Sydney

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Log books for HMAS Protector – bundles 446 to 449, 455 & 457 to 471	1884–1921	SP551/1
	Fort Largs – site extension	1907–12	D4212, SA1911/634
	Forts Glanville and Largs – papers and books of historical interest	1957–62	D844, 274/1/93

Records held by other institutions

State Records of South Australian has a significant collection of records dealing with the defence of South Australia before Federation.

State Records of South Australia
GPO Box 2343
ADELAIDE SA 5001

Tel: (08) 8204 8791
Fax: (08) 8260 6133
Email: srsaPublicAccess@sa.gov.au

South Australian Archives Centre
26–28 Leigh Street
ADELAIDE SA 5000

Gepps Cross Research Centre
115 Cavan Road
GEPPS CROSS SA 5094