Jervois-Scratchley reports

The Jervois - Scratchley reports from 1877 related to the defense of the Australian colonies. They influenced the defense of Australia and New Zealand until the twentieth century. Since the beginning of the first settlement in Australia, the Royal Marines, the New South Wales Corps and a number of regiments of the British Army were deployed for the defense of the Australian colonies. With the withdrawal of British troops in 1870 the various colonies were forced to make greater efforts in their own defense.

Major General Sir William Jervois and Lieutenant Colonel Peter Scratchley were appointed by a group of colonies as a consultant on defense matters. The two Royal Engineers inspected the defense of each colony and summarized the results of the Jervois - Scratchley reports from 1877 together. These were the basis of defense planning in Australia and New Zealand for the next 30 years.

A consequence of the reports was that the defense of any colonies were uniform, with regional variations, organized. Wealthier colonies with a tendency of larger population had a higher proportion of ever- paid soldiers and militias, while the smaller colonies opted for more volunteers. Given the fact that a large part of the reports focused on seaports are incurred from 1888 onwards various fortifications, which are located at the entrances to the major ports in Australia and New Zealand, the most visible sign of their influence. These fortresses are:

• The fort on Bare Iceland, Botany Bay, New South Wales
• Fort Scratchley, Newcastle, New South Wales
• Fort Lytton, Brisbane, Queensland
• Fort Glanville, South Australia
• Fort Jervois, Ripapa Iceland, New Zealand
• Fort Nepean and Fort Pearce in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria