Shannon Stirnweis (Arizona, New York, New Hampshire Oregon, B. 1931) "Fort Rodd Hill" Signed lower left. Oil on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the Canada 32c Fort Rodd Hill stamp issued June 30, 1983. Fort Rodd Hill, a coastal artillery installation, was constructed by the British between 1895 and 1900. It was named after John Rashleigh Rodd, First Lieutenant on H.M.S. Fisgard at the time of the 1847 Royal Navy survey of Esquimalt Harbor. The Fort Rodd Hill batteries which consisted of three coast artillery batteries, were part of a system of coastal defenses designed to protect Esquimalt Harbor, which had served as a British Naval Base since 1864. In addition, the fort provided protection for the growing commercial ventures of Victoria Harbor. In 1893, Canada and Great Britain reached the decision that batteries constructed by the Canadian government in 1878 were obsolete, and they further agreed to share the cost of constructing and equipping a new defense system. This new defense system was to be manned by British gunners who would be paid by Canada. The new Fort Rodd Hill gun batteries were designed for medium range firing of up to ten thousand yards. Seachlights were also mounted at the quick firing batteries so the soldiers could fire their weapons by either night or day. With only a few changes in types and dispositions of gun equipment, the coastal defense of the harbor remained unaltered until World War II, when the defenses were updated. However, despite modifications, by 1956 technical advances in the art of defending and attacking coastal targets made the Fort Rodd Hill weapons obsolete. In 1962, the fort was transferred to transformed into a national park. Image Size: 19.25 x 16.5 in. Overall Size: 23 x 19.75 in. Unframed. (B08179)