Armstrong 40 Pounder RBL Gun, Como Park
Williams Road SOUTH YARRA, STONNINGTON CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is Significant?
The Armstrong 40 pounder RBL gun located in Como Park, South Yarra was manufactured in 1864 at the Royal Gun Factory, England. It was one of six such guns sent to Victoria in 1865 for use in coastal defence. The guns were designed with rifled barrels and breech loading mechanism to achieve greater rates of fire with more accuracy over long distances. One of the Armstrong guns was donated to the Prahran City Council in the early twentieth century and relocated to Como Park c1930-34. It is understood to be one of only three Armstrong 40 pounder RBL guns surviving in Victoria.
All of the gun's original fabric is considered to be significant (including markings on the gun identifying the date and place of manufacture and the barrel weight). The granite blocks on which the gun is mounted are not significant.
How is it significant?
The Armstrong 40 pounder RBL gun in Como Park, South Yarra is of local historical and technical significance. The gun is also potentially significant at a State level.
Why is it significant?
The Armstrong gun in Como Park is of historical significance for its association with the early defence of the colony of Victoria (TEH 5.5 Defending Australia, Criterion A). It demonstrates the dependence of the colony on British arms and military expertise.
The gun is significant as an extremely rare example of this type of nineteenth century artillery piece surviving in Victoria (Criterion B). It is also significant for its ability to demonstrate the major advances in artillery technology that came with the introduction of breech loaded rifled barrels (Criterion F).
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Armstrong 40 Pounder RBL Gun, Como Park - Physical Description 1
An Armstrong 40 pounder RBL (Rifled Breech Loading) gun is located in the south-east corner of Como Park, near the Williams Road entry. The gun has lost all of its wheeled carriage apart from the metal framework and axel, and is mounted on granite blocks. The left trunnion (the projections at the side of the barrel that rest on the carriage and form a pivot point) is marked: 'R - G - F No. 268 - G 1864' to indicate that it was manufactured at the Royal Gun Factory in 1864. The right trunnion face is marked with a cross to show the gun's centre of gravity. The gun is also marked with the Royal Cypher of Queen Victoria and a sequence of three numbers describing the weight of the barrel '35-1-9' (35 cwt, 1 quarter and 9 pounds). The gun's breech-block and screw mechanism are missing.
Heritage Study and Grading
Stonnington - Heritage Places in the City of Stonnington - Heritage Citations Project
Author: Bryce Raworth Pty Ltd
Year: 2013
Grading: A1
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FORMER KELLOW FALKINER SHOWROOMSVictorian Heritage Register H0668
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PRIMARY SCHOOL NO. 2084Victorian Heritage Register H1634
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FORMER RICHMOND POWER STATIONVictorian Heritage Register H1055
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