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__Why the tunnels and guns were made on North Head__ **

 From the 1870s onward there was a growing fear that the Russians were planning attacks on New Zealands ports. This was part of a larger worldwide concern known as the `Russian Scares'.

In the 1870's the government had purchased large coast defence guns but these had never been installed. In 1885, however, the Russian war fears reached crisis point and a series of forts was hurriedly built around the New Zealand coast.

At North Head three large gun batteries were built, North Battery to defend the Rangitoto Channel, South Battery to defend the inner harbour and Summit or Cautley Battery on the top of the hill. These early forts were too hastily built and needed major reconstruction to make them usable. We got this imformation from the Department of Conservation website ( [] )

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Images are from the DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION!! Page 1 Page 2 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6