The Broad Arrow Locationless, Locationless, Locationless
By
wayn0 on 01-Mar-23. Waypoint GA27099
Cache Details
| Difficulty: | |
| Terrain: | |
| Type: | Locationless |
| Container: | Other |
| Proximity: | 0m |
Description
The Broad Arrow.
A stylised version of an arrowhead first used by English royalty (some say as far back as the 1300s) to mark property. This included trees for property lines. Later, a British government body called the Board of Ordnance was established to act as a custodian of items required for the defence of the realm and its overseas possessions, and as the supplier of munitions and equipment to both the Army and the Navy. They used the Broad Arrow as a mark of government ownership. Land surveying and eventually map making (Ordnance Survey) followed.
A lot of us here at Geocaching Australia have seen the Broad Arrow on surveying equipment and reference marks, but, the first use of the broad arrow in Australia had nothing to do with surveying. It marked the uniforms of the King's property i.e. the uniforms of convicts.
Australian Dress Register - Port Arthur Convict Parti-Coloured Uniform Trousers
“The exterior side of the trousers is printed with a broad arrow stamp identifying the trousers as well as the convict as government property.”
Ironically, convicts wearing garments with the Broad Arrow on them were utilised to clear land around survey points and routes to them. In the mid 1800s there was an instruction for marking Crown Land by Government Surveyors with the broad arrow.
The mark of the Broad Arrow was also adopted by the Australian Army Ordnance Department at the beginning of the 20th Century, and the mark is still used today.
So, military equipment and surveying tools are where you are most likely to see the broad arrow. They are often accompanied with letters and sometimes directional.
One Broad Arrow is government ownership or surveying marks
Two Broad Arrows nose-to-nose means out-of-service.
WD = War Department
DD = Defence Department
MD = Military District
N = Royal Navy
The first image above is a War Department gunpowder storage keg and the other is an image of a box used to transport bayonets from Great Britain to the Colonial Government of Queensland around the 1870s.
Both images are from inside Fort Lytton National Park, S27° 24.686' E153° 9.090', January 2023.
From left to right:
- Original QLD / NSW state border reference tree marked by FE Roberts, 1866 - GA27098
- Trigonometric Station post - TP13372
- Trigonometric Station marker - TP13107
- Trigonometric Station reference blaze - TP0313
- Geodetic Station reference blaze - TP13416
If you see a Broad Arrow sitting vertically with a dot or bar just above it then you’re looking at a benchmark i.e. a height reference mark used for surveying and mapping.
From left to right:
- Benchmark found at Kilkenny Castle, Ireland. N52° 38.991' E7° 14.937', July 2017.
- Flush Bracket Benchmark on the Cuilcagh trig pillar - TP13515, May 2018.
- Icon for the Benchmrk app (a field survey mapping tool)
To log this Locationless Cache:
1. Find a Broad Arrow symbol anywhere in the world and photograph it.
2. Provide a rough date of when the image was taken.
3. Provide rough coordinates of where you found it.
4. Describe the item.
- You do not need yourself or your GPS in the image although it's preferred.
- I do ask though that the images are your own.
- You can log as many times as you find a Broad Arrow.
- The same arrow can be logged more than once (don't forget to add a rough date!)
Logs
The arrow is located on the Timeball Tower which used to serve as a lighthouse.
It was built in 1849.
Pretty impressive bluestone structure.
TFTL
The Red Bridge in Tasmania crosses the Elizabeth River at Campbell Town. Built in 1838 using penal labour, it is the oldest surviving brick arch bridge in Australia,as well as the oldest bridge anywhere on the National Highway.The bridge contains three arch spans of 7.6 m (25 ft) each and holds two lanes of traffic as well as pedestrian walkways. It lies on the Midland Highway, roughly halfway between Hobart and Launceston. (Ref wiki)
Stopped here on our way past and snapped required pic, showing a broad arrow stamped into a metal plate attached to the top bricks of the bridge. which has been added to the gallery.
Permanent Survey Mark (Standard), Number 141414
Photo taken April/May 2015
The broad arrow is emblazoned on a tree, long dead, but protected from the elements by a structure built by Tenterfield Shire Council. It's beside the highway so no effort required. I Waymarked the tree - reference WMNVMG.
Thanks.
Objectives in order of priority (besides the obvious of learning more about and exploring the island)..
1. Find remains of at least one of the old trig stations that were on this island.
2. Photograph a broad arrow.
3. Earthcache.
4. Adventure Lab.
Let’s work backwards. The Adventure Lab was a nice edition and easy to complete during the tour. The Earthcache was interesting and described the lime kiln and how it worked. It's the best preserved item on the island.
The Broad Arrow. I asked the tour guide why there were no broad arrows on the convict uniforms. The answer - Operations began at St Helena Island AFTER Queensland was created. Prisoners here were from Queensland and convicted in Queensland courts. They were not royal property. Also, on a side note, there were NO convicts sent to Queensland because when they were sent to this area, it was not yet Queensland. I found a broad arrow on a signal cannon built in 1802 by Carron in Scotland! It sits up near the museum.
The old trig stations. This is where things get really interesting. From as far back as 1840, a high point on a south eastern ridge line was used for trigonometrical surveying. 1890s, 1920 and 1950 were years when stations were built at this location. Unfortunately the area I wanted to explore was a restricted zone. What was I to do? I'll tell you haha.. During the tour I quietly entered a mangrove area when everyone was focusing on the guide and looking in the opposite direction. I was off, like an escaped convict searching for freedom! Well, it wasn't that dramatic, just a nerd searching for historical surveying remains..
I finally get the area I wanted to explore. I found zero remains. After St Helena Island ceased penal operations it was turned into farmland. The ridgeline became a fence line. The 'old' stations are gone. I was hoping to at least find something from the 1950 installation but it wasn't to be. This would have been a D5 T5 and a great experience to share with other trig hunters. I would have enjoyed reading logs if it was ever visited again. Never mind, I doubt I'll ever forget this experience. Anyway, I best get back to the group! I stealthily re-joined the tour at the museum. Most of my expeditions fail to find anything of interest which is what I expect but it sure would have been nice to publish a D5 T5 Trigpoint Cache
"A Board of Ordnance ‘broad arrow’ symbol was carved into the top surface, with a circular hole at the apex marking the precise triangulation point."
---
It's time to get your convict trousers on and search for some Broad Arrows..
