used both domestically and exported from the port. As an adjunct to the coke making, the heat produced was to be used to produce salt in salt pans by evaporating sea water. The business was later extended to produce bone dust. The business failed and the materials from the demolished batteries were used in the upgrade of the Mt Keira railroad. A second set of two bee-hive ovens were built in the same area by William Ashley. These were successfully operated until the lease expired in 1890. These ovens were demolished in 1892. During roadwork construction the remains of the two bee hive ovens were unearthed. The ovens were recorded and re-covered as a conservation measure. An interpretive sign is now located on the refilled site. A timber T jetty designed and constructed by the NSW Department of Public Works was built in 1880 to increase the harbour's cargo handling capacity. At the same time, the harbour rail system was extended onto the Tee Jetty. The jetty was serviced by a derrick crane that was positioned on the outer edge of the jetty. The winch was powered by steam from a vertical boiler. In 1881, to prevent waves from washing into the Basin during heavy seas and to protect the coal wagons crossing to the T Jetty, a sandstone block wall up to 12 feet high was constructed on the seaward side of the Basin and another wall constructed between Pulpit Rock and the base of the Cliff. At this time, the railway was also extended around the eastern and northern sides of the Basin. In 1885, a fourth coal staithe was built in line with the original three, a smaller high-level coaling staithe was constructed to service the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company wharf at the southern end of the original Basin and two 15 ton quayside steam cranes were erected on the northern side of Belmore basin. The four straits provided a loading capacity of 150 tons per hour. The two 15 ton steam cranes were able to load 100 tons an hour and a third could handle 120 a fourth larger crane was able to load 200 tons per hour. Installation of port defences The need for defence installations around Wollongong harbour had been raised as early as 1839 by Barney but went unanswered until the 1879 when in answer to calls for artillery to reinforce the newly