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Top 10 Facts about Wrights Hill Fortress

Located in the Karori suburb of Wellington, New Zealand, the Wrights Hill Fortress is a counter-bombing coastal weaponry battery. It’s mainly located underground and was built between 1942 and 1944. There are several tunnels located more than 50 meters below ground. These tunnels link an engine room, plotting rooms, war shelters, gun emplacements, and magazines.

Initially, the Wrights Hill Fortress was to house three 9.2″ Mk. XV guns. Only two were installed at the fort although it never saw any war action. The guns were fired after the Second World War. Carried out by the fort commanders, the first gun was fired in 1946 while the second was fired in 1947. In 1960, the Japanese bought the guns as scrap metal.

Below are ten amazing facts about Wrights’ Hill Fortress.

1. To access the fortress, you need to arrange your visit in advance

Aerial Photograph of Wrights Hill Fortress, taken on 28 September 1945. Photo by Retrolens.co.nz/

The Wrights Hill Fortress is being maintained by a preservation society. It is open to the public and can be visited during the Queen’s birthday, ANZAC Day, Labour Day, and Waitangi Day. The fortress is listed as a Category I Historic Place. Apart from the days listed above, you can visit the fortress on a day of your choosing. All you need to do is arrange the tour in advance.

2. It was the proposed site for a gun battery but the cost delayed construction by almost a decade

During the 1880s, there was a scare that Russia would invade New Zealand. In 1933, a program to modernize the New Zealand Military was initiated by the New Zealand Government. The modernization plans included building a new coastal defense at Wellington.

In 1934, under the U.K. war office’s advice, the Wrights Hill site was selected for the installation of 9.2-inch guns. The cost of installing the gun was too high. Instead, a smaller 6-inch gun was installed at Palmer point.

In 1937, the cabinet revisited the idea of installing a gun at the fortress. The plans were shelved yet again due to the cost. The plan was acted upon in 1939 after the outbreak of the war. It was however not possible to get the guns at the time and the plan had to be shelved yet again. The gun manufacturer gave an expected delivery time of 12 months, in March 1942. This allowed construction to finally begin.

3. Construction began but there was a manpower shortage

A view of the Wright’s Hill Gun Emplacement taken in August 2013. Photo by Jaydenm/

In April 1942 the site was surveyed. Five months later, a 160-man camp had been constructed. Downer & Co Ltd began tunneling in December but towards the end of 1943, there was a manpower shortage.

To help address the situation, the Department of Public Works stepped in. They provided men from the disbanded 3^rd Division to help with the construction. With the threat of Japan invading reduced, construction slowed down.

4. The cost of construction was double the initial budgeted cost

A tunnel in the Wrights Hill Fortress taken on Anzac Day 2007. Photo by Karora/

In January 1944, the government reduced the number of guns from three to two. This was because they wanted to reduce the cost and also because the priorities had changed.

Construction ended in June and the two guns were installed by the end of that year. The initial estimated cost was GBP 122,430 but the actual cost at the end of construction was GBP 249,120.

5. The guns were only fired as test shots which were considered a success

9.2-inch gun breech at the Wrights Hill Fortress. Photo by Alexander Turnbull Library/

On 28 June 1946, three rounds were fired from the no. 1 gun. They were fired at a distance of 10,000, 22,500, and 30,000 yards. On 26 March 1947, three shots were fired from the no. 2 gun.

These were the only shots ever fired from the guns. The shots were considered a success and the fortress and nearby residential properties suffered some damages such as broken windows and collapsed internal walls.

6. The fortress’ defense status was lifted and the guns were sold as scrap

The fortress’s defense status was lifted in 1961. The 10^th regiment however stayed on for about a year and surrendered control in 1962.

Initially, the guns were sold as scrap in 1960 to Bradman & Coin, a Sydney-based company. The guns were later sold to the Japanese.

7. The site where the guns stood has been used by other organizations

Over the years, different organizations have used the site for several civil infrastructure projects. The organizations include the Wellington Water Board, Wellington Municipal Electricity Department, and the Civil Aviation Authority.

Since 1955, the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department later known as Telecom/Spark also used the site. They set up telecommunications aerials and stored equipment in some of the war shelters. This went on till 1997.

8. The fortress was opened to the public for the first time in 1989

Behind the scenes photograph of filming on the New Zealand feature film The Devil’s Rock in the Gun pit No.1. Photo by The Devil’s Rock Ltd/

In 1988, The Karori Lions Club began restoring the fortress. Upon completion, the fortress was opened to the public for the first time in 1989. The first public access was during ANZAC Day.

The fortress is maintained by the Wrights Hill Fortress Restoration Society. This society was formed in 1992 and they continue to restore the fortress. Some work has gone into the restoration of the fortress.

The no. 1 gun pit has been dug out and repainted. The drainage system in the tunnel has been repaired and lighting installed.

In 2004, Heritage New Zealand categorized the fortress. It was earmarked as ‘one of New Zealand’s most significant or best representative examples of coastal defense’. The fortress was also included in the Category I Historic Place. In 2019, the fortress status moved from a recreational reserve to a historic reserve.

9. More than 100 people were required to man the fortress

The fortress required 165 people to man it. They were from the Royal New Zealand Artillery’s 10th Coast Regiment. This regiment was later renamed 104 Battery.

In theory, it required 195 people to effectively operate the fortress. These were 63 women from the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps and 132 men from the Territorial Force.

However, its battery never took the strength of more than 20 people. Only two guns had been installed but had they been three, the required manpower would have been 248.

10. The site has been used in movie productions

A poster of ‘The Devil’s Rock,’ a 2011 New Zealand horror film directed by Paul Campion. Photo by Metrodome (UK)/Vendetta (NZ)/eOne (USA)/

The tunnels and gun pits were the locations of filming the Devil’s Rock, a New Zealand horror film. The tunnel was used to depict a German bunker during World War II. In addition, the tunnels were used to record sound echo effects for the Fellowship of the Ring’s Mines of Moria sequence.