At Georges Head we gain a panoramic view of Sydney Harbour from the harbour entrance right through to the city and Harbour bridge. Due to its strategic positioning Georges Heights was fortified to protect Sydney from invasion. Defence was always on the mind of the British right back to the First Fleet days as the French left Botany Bay on the day the First Fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour (1788). In 1839 a squadron of US Navy ships caused some consternation when they made an unannounced visit to Sydney Harbour under the cover of darkness. In the early 1870s a Russian scare was caused by numerous visits from Russian naval vessels on 'training expeditions'. As a consequence Georges Heights was added to the list of places deemed fit to fortify Sydney harbour and canons were positioned in this area along with a barracks for the gunners operating the cannons. Georges Heights offers a look at both Sydney's wonderful harbour and the military history of Sydney.