Fort Queenscliff Fort Queenscliff , in Victoria , Australia , dates from 1860 when an open battery was constructed on Shortland ' s Bluff to defend the entrance to Port Phillip . The Fort , which underwent major redevelopment in the late 1870s and 1880s , became the headquarters for an extensive chain of forts around Port Phillip Heads . Its garrison included volunteer artillery , engineers , infantry and naval militia , and it was manned as a coastal defence installation continuously from 1883 to 1946 . The other fortifications and armaments around the Heads were completed by 1891 , and together made Port Phillip one of the most heavily defended harbours in the British Empire . The first Allied shots of World War I were fired when a gun at Fort Nepean fired across the bow of the German freighter " Pfalz " , as she was attempting to escape to sea . The orders to fire came from Fort Queenscliff . The same gun , with a different barrel , also fired the first Allied shot of World War II . By 1946 coastal artillery was outmoded , and the Fort became home of the Army Command and Staff College . After the three Service Staff Colleges were combined into the Australian Defence College in Canberra , it became the base for Army ' s Soldier Career Management Agency in 2001 . Fort Queenscliff is located in the Borough of Queenscliffe , some 106 km from Melbourne , on the western side of the entrance to Port Phillip . It occupies an area of 6 . 7 hectares on high ground known as Shortland ' s Bluff and overlooks the shipping lanes leading to Melbourne and Geelong . The Fort is a superb example of the defences that existed around the coastline of Australia from colonial times through to the end of the Second World War . Considerable restoration has been accomplished at Fort Queenscliff in recent years , including the recovery and refurbishment of some of the original guns , the restoration of historic buildings , and the development of a comprehensive indoor display and archival centre . Fort Queenscliff has been classified by the National Trust and entered in the Register of the National Estate . A museum was established at Fort Queenscliff in 1982 to show the significance of the Fort in the local , state and national context and to provide a centre for historical research . History of Queenscliff . In 1852 , the Lieutenant Governor of Victoria C . J . La Trobe commissioned a surveyor to lay out a town at Shortland ' s Bluff . On 1 May 1853 , he appointed a postmaster at the Bluff to transship Geelong and Western District mails . This first settlement was proclaimed Queenscliff on 23 June 1853 , and two months later the first town lots were sold . Prior to these developments , between 1838 and 1843 , pilot operations had begun , a grazing lease had been granted , and a lighthouse had been established in the area . In 1853 - 54 , cottages for the pilots and a house for the Health Officer at the Quarantine Station were built in Gellibrand Street , and a Customs Officer was appointed . A church and school , the first hotel and a second lighthouse were also built . The telegraph office was built and began operations in January 1855 . The pilots ' cottages were mainly occupied by the Health Officer and Customs boatcrews because the pilots preferred to live elsewhere , and they commissioned some of the first private dwellings in the town . In the next few years development continued , and more houses , shops and hotels were built . By the time the Borough was incorporated in 1863 , Hesse Street was established as the main street of the town , and Queenscliff boasted five hotels , a library and cricket and recreation reserves . In addition , there was a lifeboat and a jetty , and small steamers began offering trips around the Bay . The Presbyterian church had been opened , a Church of England was being created , and a site had been selected for the Roman Catholic church . A fishing industry had commenced in the town , and the first requests had been made for a railway . A detachment of the Victorian Volunteer Artillery had been formed in Queenscliff in 1859 , commanded by Acting Lieutenant Alexander Robertson . Construction of a gun battery began at Shortland ' s Bluff the following year , which caused the building of two new lighthouses , the Queenscliff High and Low Lights , in 1861 - 63 since the original lighthouse stood on the site now needed for the battery . A military railway line from Geelong opened in 1879 which allowed better public access to the Bellarine Peninsula area and improved the supply of building materials to the Queenscliff area . In the 1880s , large buildings were erected in the town - Lathamstowe and the Esplanade , Grand , Queenscliff , Royal and Ozone hotels . A new pier was built in 1885 and this encouraged the building of a larger paddle steamer , the " Ozone " . Continuing prosperity during the 1880s and 1890s led to the building of more guest houses and two further paddle steamers , the " Hygeia " and the " Weeroona " , which serviced the tourist trade . Queenscliff became one of the most popular Victorian seaside resorts until greater prosperity and the increasing popularity of the motor car enabled people to look further afield for their holidays . The attraction of the town for the holiday - maker came from its unique blend of military and civilian activities , the picturesque fishing fleet and the ever - changing seascape . The defence of Port Phillip . The defences at Queenscliff and elsewhere around Port Phillip were developed in the second half of the 19th century , to protect Melbourne and its outlying settlements from invasion by hostile foreign powers . These hostile powers were , at various times , identified as the French , the Russians and , at one stage during the American Civil War , the United States . In particular , the Crimean War ( 1853 – 56 ) stimulated public concern over Victoria ' s defences , and after protracted discussions , reports and inquiries , Captain ( later General Sir ) Peter Scratchley of the British Army arrived in Victoria in 1859 to advise on the development of the Colony ' s coastal defences . His recommendations included a proposal to construct four large batteries of guns at the entrance to Port Phillip , and suggested Shortland Bluff as the site for one of these batteries . He also recommended the construction of an inner ring of gun batteries around Hobsons Bay to provide a more intimate protection for Melbourne . Following the 1875 - 76 Royal Commission into the Volunteer Forces , the Victorian Government invited the Director of Works and Fortifications in London , Lieutenant General Sir William Jervois , to Victoria to further advise on Victoria ' s defences . He arrived in 1877 accompanied by the now Colonel Scratchley . Their joint report recommended that the basic defences for the Colony should be concentrated on the Heads , and consist of fortifications at the entrance to the Bay and on the shoals between the main shipping channels . Between 1879 and 1886 their recommendations were substantially actioned and the Bay defences were progressively developed . Fort Queenscliff was developed as an enclosed battery armed with heavy - calibre cannons on Shortland ' s Bluff . Swan Island at the northern end of town covered the western shipping channel and was similarly fortified . Two ' island ' forts , at Pope ' s Eye and South Channel , were to be raised on existing shoals in the Bay to cover West , Symonds and South Channels . Although the South Channel Fort was eventually built , work on Popes Eye Shoal was discontinued because improvements in ordnance meant that other forts could effectively close the shipping channels . Torpedoes and mines were located at Swan Island and were to be laid across the shipping channels in times of war . Swan Island was permanently manned by Engineers of the Victorian Military Forces . Plans for a fixed gun battery adjacent to the signal station at Point Lonsdale did not proceed , but defences on the western side of the Bay were supplemented by mobile artillery being stationed there during both world wars . Fort Nepean , Fort Cheviot and Fort Pearce on the eastern side of the Bay were also developed and , although on a lesser scale , were similar to those at Fort Queenscliff . By design Fort Queenscliff became the command centre for the Heads defences , probably because of its strategic location and established telegraph links with Melbourne . In recognition of its importance , a landward defensive system around the Queenscliff guns was commenced in 1882 . By 1886 Port Phillip was the most heavily fortified port in the Southern Hemisphere . Over the next fifty years , the Bay Forts were manned , and both Fort Nepean and Fort Queenscliff were fully operational during both World Wars . In 1946 Fort Queenscliff ceased to be a coastal artillery station . Development of Fort Queenscliff . The first military works at Queenscliff commenced in 1860 , with the construction of a sea wall along the top of Shortland ' s Bluff . Built from sandstone quarried at Point King , this sea wall was positioned directly east of the site of the original upper lighthouse . It was designed to strengthen the cliff face and allow the positioning of heavy - calibre guns in an elevated location , right on the edge of the Bluff . By 1864 , the construction of the first permanent battery , directly above the sea wall , was completed as Captain Scratchley had recommended . The Shortland ' s Bluff battery was made from local sandstone at a cost of £1 , 425 . Designed in a quatrefoil pattern , it accommodated four 68 - pound muzzle - loading cannons which were manned by the Volunteer Artillery , made up of local residents . The building of this battery required the construction of new lighthouses . In 1861 , contracts were let for the lighthouses to replace the timber - framed leading light built in 1854 , and the badly decaying sandstone upper light . Both new lighthouses were built in dressed basalt and by February 1863 were operational . The timber light was subsequently re - erected at Point Lonsdale as the first Point Lonsdale Lighthouse . In 1862 - 63 , lighthouse keepers ' quarters were erected at the Bluff for both Queenscliff lighthouses . The upper quarters still survive within the Fort . Between 1864 and 1879 , the rate of military construction at Queenscliff declined . In 1870 , as the last detachment of British troops left Victoria , the debate on the Colony ' s defences remained unresolved and the future of the Queenscliff battery was by no means certain . The period 1879 - 1889 was the major stage of development at Fort Queenscliff . New works recommended by Scratchley and Jervois were started and formed the basis of the layout of the Fort as it stands today . In 1879 , two contracts were let for the construction of an upper and a lower battery . The lower battery was to contain four 80 - pounder rifled muzzle - loading ( RML ) guns , and the upper battery three 9 - inch RML guns . Both batteries were completed by early 1882 , although not armed . In 1882 , work commenced on the walls of the Fort and a keep and proceeded erratically until their completion in 1886 . A year later a ditch or dry moat was excavated around the Fort walls to provide a further defensive measure . An array of support facilities were also erected , including a drill hall ( 1882 ) , barracks ( 1885 ) , assorted sheds and stores , a guard house ( 1883 ) , and a separate cell block ( 1887 ) . These buildings were all constructed from timber and corrugated iron , were purely functional and had little architectural embellishment . Many of them still exist today . With the erection of the wall , the civilian presence in the Fort came to a virtual end , and by 1887 both the lighthouse keepers ' quarters and the post and telegraph office were turned over to military use . From this point on , regular civilian entry to the Fort has been restricted . In 1889 , two BL 9 . 2 inch ( 234 mm ) Mk VI breech - loading ' counter bombardment ' British Armstrong guns were installed , one on a Hydro - Pneumatic mounting enabling it to function as a ' disappearing ' gun , and one on a Central Pivot Barbette mounting . Two of the BL 9 . 2 inch ( 234 mm ) Mk VI guns on Hydro - Pneumatic carriages were also installed at Fort Nepean , and three ( one each ) , at Ben Buckler Gun Battery , Signal Hill Battery , and Shark Point Battery in Sydney . After 1890 , apart from continual improvements to the Fort ' s guns and their emplacements and the construction of search - light apertures , little development took place within the Fort until World War I from 1914 - 18 . Around 1915 , substantial development occurred along the northern boundary of the parade ground which involved the removal of an old shrapnel mound from behind the wall and the erection of a number of timber barracks and mess buildings . All the old barrack buildings were demolished in 1936 to allow the construction of the present red brick buildings . One of the more unfortunate aspects of development since the 1930s has been the encroachment of structures outside the Fort Walls , especially on the Hesse and King Street sides . In terms of layout and despite some changes in architectural style , the Fort , as it stands today , is almost the same as it was in 1889 . The soldiers . Though over two hundred military units have been associated with Fort Queenscliff since the 1860s , two major groups of permanent soldiers have been based here : the coastal gunners of the artillery and their technical support provided by the sappers of the fortress engineers . As well , there were Militia ( part - time ) soldiers who were to bring the Bay forts to full strength during wartime and who trained at the Fort throughout the year , particularly at camps over Easter . To a great extent , the soldiers at the Fort were peacetime soldiers - and as has been said , ' soldiers in peace are like chimneys in summer ' ! Though always part of the town , the soldiers ( leathernecks ) could always find opponents such as the fishermen ( squids ) and rivalries , not always healthy , resulted . However , many soldiers married Queenscliff lasses and there are frequent cases of whole families of men joining the Service , sometimes over three generations . The routine of the Fort governed the lives of its occupants . New recruits were given rigorous training by experienced non - commissioned officer s , but given few privileges until they had fully joined their regiment . Married recruits were normally not accepted - indeed soldiers had to notify their Commanding Officer and , at times , gain his approval to marry . Prior to World War I , ' the married establishment ' , that is those who were entitled to married quarters and rations , was severely restricted . Food was very basic and monotonous . One incident in the early 1900s told how for weeks on end there was not ' pudding ' until constant demands resulted in a dessert made from boiled cabbage scraps . Sobriety was encouraged , not always successfully , by the establishment of a soft drink bottling factory inside the Fort . The ' Artillery ' bottles of this factory are much sought after today . Outside the barracks activities with the locals included concerts , musical recitals , spelling bee s , roller skating , lectures and lantern slide shows , occasional tattoos and moving picture shows . A humorist during World War I perhaps exaggerated only a little when he wrote The Queenscliff Dinkum " in the Fort Critic of 28 February 1918 : Significance . A conservation study initiated in 1982 by the Department of Defence analysed the Fort and its cultural significance . After assessing archaeological , architectural , historical and environmental factors , the study concluded : ' The significance of Fort Queenscliff and its location on Shortland Bluff can be viewed at a number of levels : Historically , Shortland Bluff is the raison d ' etre for the existence of the town of Queenscliff . As the site of the first lighthouse and the first pilots ' hut , it contained the earliest major navigational aid to ships entering Port Phillip . Subsequently , as the location of the telegraph station , it provided Melbourne with vital overseas information long before incoming ships reached their berths , and was the civil centre of the early township . In terms of military history it is the site of the first substantial attempt to defend the entry to Port Phillip , and subsequently was the centre of the major fortification of the Heads . The Fort is the tangible remains of part of this system of defences , retaining its nineteenth century layout largely intact , and illustrating the rapid evolution of military engineering during this period . Its significance also relates to its designers , Sir Peter Scratchley and Sir William Jervois , two of the most important figures in the design of the defences for the Australian colonies in the 19th century . Although a number of other examples of their works remain , Queenscliff is one of the largest , both in terms of area covered and ordnance mounted . As the central command post for the defences of the Bay , it was the premier Fort . Finally , its significance relates to the fact that the site on which it is built has been utilised for military purposes for over one hundred and twenty years , and is presently still occupied by the Australian Army . Although not utilised in the manner in which it was originally designed , this continued occupation has been instrumental in maintaining the Fort as an example of living history as opposed to being a museum piece . Today the Australian Army is very much aware of its responsibilities preserving the Fort as part of Victoria ' s heritage . The Fort Queenscliff Museum was formed in 1982 for the purpose of raising and maintaining a display and archival centre , obtaining , refurbishing and reinstalling original guns and equipment , re - establishing and restoring the original fortifications and facilities , and last but no means least , raising funds . This Museum is authorised by the Department of Defence . To date several guns have been recovered , refurbished and re - established at Fort Queenscliff , including the recovery from South Channel Island of a 12½ - tonne 8 - inch gun a hydro - pneumatic or ' disappearing ' mounting . Considerable work has also taken place on the restoration of most of the defensive positions and some of the underground magazines . A significant archival collection has also been established . In recognition of these efforts , in 1983 , the Fort was awarded the ' Museum of the Year ' award for Victoria . Today the Fort Queenscliff Museum receives support from a wide range of government and private organisations and many interested individuals . Since 1983 , approximately 35 , 000 people have visited the Fort annually . Many of these are school children visiting on excursions . It is expected that the ongoing restoration program will result in a substantial increase in the number of visitors and an increase in public interest . The ultimate objective of the Fort Queenscliff Museum is a fully restored Fort and the development of a museum which will allow visitors to tour the Fort and inspect a multitude of indoor and outdoor displays . Today visitors are encouraged to look upon Fort Queenscliff as a part of the national heritage which belongs to all Australians . Accordingly , the Fort Queenscliff Museum has sought to create an environment that evokes public interest and reminds visitors of our early military history . Museum . The Fort Queenscliff Museum has a number of exhibits that are of special value . The collection includes : The Museum also has a rare manual entitled " The Artillerist ' s Manual " . The contents include Cautionary Remarks ( on the importance of drill and bearing ) , Recruit ( a section on basic foot drill ) , Manual and Platoon Exercises ( more foot drill ) , Company Drill , Inspection on Review , Battalion Drill , Sword Exercise , Light Drill , Instruction in Gunnery and finally Cavalry Exercise . This manual may be the second or third oldest Australian Military Publication . The Museum is located at 1 King Street , Queenscliff .