Historical Specifics:

The 32 pounder guns at Duntroon are of the Blomefield pattern of 56 cwt. This gun is No 5 weight markings appear to be 55-2-14. It is mounted on a replica garrison carriage but the iron work may be original. The gun bears the cypher of King George III which indicates it was made sometime between the 1790s and 1820.

The first 32 pounder guns appear to have arrived in NSW sometime around 1858. In December 1870 a total of 45 of these guns were in NSW; two of 50 cwt, 33 of 56 cwt and 9 of 58 cwt). In 1869 there were 43 and they are noted as being mounted at Dawes Battery (15), Fort Denison (12), Fort Macquarie (7), Mrs Macquarie Battery (8) and one in Colonial Stores, serial numbers are not recorded. It can be assumed the two guns of 50 cwt had arrived in 1870. The32 pounders appear to have been dismounted by 1874.

Only 10 of these guns are listed in the 1901 Report; two of 50 cwt at Wollongong and eight of 56 cwt –Bare Island (1), Fort Scratchley (Newcastle) (2),  South Head (4) three being at the School of Gunnery and Middle Head (1). The report does not include guns on Fort Denison. 32 pounder smooth bore guns were converted to 64 pounder rifled muzzle loading guns (RML) in the 1870s and whether this is the fate of the remaining guns is still to be determined. Gun 5 is recorded as being at the School of Gunnery, South Head, Sydney where it was used for repository drill.  As a result of the 1901 Report obsolete guns were identified and made available to local councils. Nine 32 pounders were made available in 1905. The two 50 cwt guns on siege carriages were allotted to Richmond. Of the other seven only one had a carriage and that was allotted to Lithgow. It is no longer there and may have been returned to Army in 1942 following a request for old guns to be returned for scrap for use in munitions. It is possible the 10th gun and the one from Lithgow are the two guns now at Duntroon. When they arrived is not known at present but the earliest photo showing a gun on the parade ground dates from 1956.

The first 32 pounder cast iron guns are recorded in the 1720s and over the life of the gun four different designs were produced (Blomefield, Millar, Monk and Dundas). Each came in various lengths and weight. Blomefield pattern 32 pounder guns were developed by the 1790s and superseded by the Millar pattern developed in 1829 or early 1830s.