Cape/Point Peron was an artillery battery constructed in 1942 to protect the west coast of Australia during WW2. It never fired in anger and was decommissioned only a few years later in 1944, when it came apparent that the war wasn't coming in its direction.
What survives is an observation post, a control room and two gun emplacements with ammunition bunkers. Supposedly there were also tunnels running all through the complex, but I couldn't see any sign of them on this trip. It's thought that the government dynamited them for public safety, though I for one, would of signed a waiver for some great photos.
The site was left mostly as is until the early 1990's, when concrete paths were paved joining all the sites up.
The observation post was built at the highest point of the cape, including telescopes and range finding equipment along with many other 1940's goodies of technological advancement. There is nothing much left inside these days, but there is antenna (?) on the roof that looks like it belongs in a H. G. Wells's epic.
This is the communications room, where the gun emplacements could co-ordinate with Garden Island (an army base near by) by telephone.
So much sand has moved into the entrance that the one remaining door is stuck open and half buried.
It's said that this bunker also housed accommodation for the personal, but I just couldn't imagine all that fitting in along with all the bulky 1940's communications equipment.
Maybe that's where the tunnels came into play, and they led to more rooms? Who knows.
This is one of the gun emplacements, which as you can see it about to slid down the hill due to heavy erosion. We probably shouldn't been climbing all over it to take photos, but I guess we're young and stupid.
For the record it's a lot more stable than it looks, but don't climb on it just because we did; entertain the idea at your own risk.
This was the ammunition bunker for this gun emplacement, that's filling up with sand just like the Communications Centre.
There isn't much to see inside to be honest, just a few rooms like this one. They were also completely pitch dark, and smelt like urine (hopefully not human).
This was the other emplacement that's in a lot better knick. That little green structure was for ammunition storage.
This was the other ammunition bunker that's more or less the same as the other, but more well lit.
A view of the entire complex from the second emplacement.
Check out Woodman Point Munitions Facility, which we also visited on the same day.
