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WWII relics saved from the weeds thanks to Council, NSW Government works

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A fascinating reminder of Australia’s Second World War coastal defences has been saved from the spread of invasive weeds thanks to a joint Lake Macquarie City Council and NSW Government project.

 

The site clean-up and installation of signage at a heritage-listed gun emplacement complex and concrete command bunker in isolated bush at Wangi Wangi has helped preserve the wartime relic and shed light on a little-known piece of Lake Macquarie history.

Four 3.7-inch anti-aircraft guns – each capable of shooting down warplanes up to an altitude of 25,000 feet – once aimed skyward from the Wangi Wangi Point, protecting the nearby Rathmines Catalina base from the threat of airborne attack.

The guns were withdrawn towards the end of WWII, but their circular concrete emplacements and associated structures remain.

Council Natural Assets Officer Brooke Laforest said the area had been slowly swallowed by invasive plant species until a $50,000 NSW Government grant in 2019 paved the way for improvements to begin.

“The encroaching vegetation was damaging heritage brickwork around the emplacements,” she said.

“We have removed a lot of that, stripped out invasive weeds throughout the complex and planted native species around the site that won’t compromise the structural integrity of the old wartime structures.”

Lake Macquarie Mayor Cr Kay Fraser said interpretive signs had also been installed, providing an insight into the area’s military history.

“These emplacements are now almost 80 years old, and they’re a stirring reminder of just how real the threat of war was, right on our doorstep,” Cr Fraser said.

“It’s great that we could help ensure they survive and are recognised by our community.”

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