Middle Head Fortifications

Middle Head Fortifications is a historic landmark in Mosman, New South Wales, Australia.

It was a former defence establishment and military fortification that now serves as a public space for tourists. The fort, also known as the Middle Head Military Fortifications or The Old Fort, is owned by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 1999.

The first fort at Middle Head was built in 1801, and the majority of the fortifications were constructed between 1870 and 1911. Designed by James Barnet, the fort was part of a network of defences to fire at enemy ships attempting entry through the Sydney Heads. The fort underwent several additions until 1911 and features an extensive network of tunnels, ancillary rooms, a gunpowder magazine, and a disappearing gun emplacement. The underground rooms were used to train troops for Vietnam in 'Code of Conduct' courses. The fort was also featured in the movie Stone in 1974.

The Officers quarters, built in a Victorian Regency style, are a significant structure at Middle Head. The building includes a defensive ditch or moat and a fortification wall. It served as a surveillance point facing Middle Harbour and was once home to Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges, the first commander of the First Australian Imperial Force and the commander of Australian forces in the Gallipoli Campaign.

The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust has conducted extensive restoration work on the site, including the former military hospital buildings, Officers' mess, barracks, and other facilities. The fortifications consist of three sets - the Outer Middle Head Battery, Inner Middle Head Battery, and Obelisk batteries - all of which are still intact and heritage