Western Australia, Rottnest Island. Bickley Battery. Views of and from interior of Command Post.

Bickley Command Post interior views showing condition in 1990. The coast artillery assets of Fortress Fremantle were placed on high alert when war was declared in September 1939. With the entry of Japan into the war, Fortress Fremantle became an heavily defended location due to its status as a convoy port and submarine base. There was also a perceived threat of invasion are attack from the sea. As the theatre of operations moved to New Guinea and the South West Pacific, readiness was decreased and manning priorities changed. By the end of the war, Bickley Battery was in combat storage with only a small maintenance garrison. Technology and changing defence posture saw the Coast Artillery removed from the Order of battle in 1963. Coast artillery guns and associated structures were sold for scrap. The cost of moving salvage from Rottnest Island led to the retention of the Oliver Hill Battery guns. The Bickley battery 6 inch guns were cut up and buried in situ. Components have since been recovered for display.