Georges Head Lookout, Suakin Drive
The Lookout is an iconic element within the Headland Park and along the harbour walk. It replaces an intrusive, 1960s barracks building and is sited to overlook the gun emplacements and their relationship to the Gunners’ Barracks. It is also a place for ceremony and spectacle.
The form of the lookout is based on the circular gun emplacements and the anti-blast merlons that separated them. A cistern within the cone collects stormwater for irrigation. The sandstone paved platform reinforces the sense of place. A bronze disc in the centre depicts the fortifications, the arcs of fire and the relationship to the harbour. The trees at the base of the Lookout were kept and pruned to provide shade and frame the succession of views. Their windswept form reflects the site’s exposure.
The lookout epitomises why the role of the community in retaining the Defence lands for the public was so important.
