THE view from Fort Scratchley is one of Newcastle's most magical vantage points.
It boasts a wide panorama of Stockton, Kooragang Island, the ocean and the CBD.
However, it's a location many locals and tourists bypass or visit sparingly.
The volunteer-based Fort Scratchley Historical Society is hoping to change that with the return of the annual Music Of The Guns performance on Saturday, November 4.
The evening features a two-hour performance from the Australian Army Band Newcastle and the Waratah Brass Band, which will include various marching band and jazz favourites.
The evening will crescendo with the firing of Fort Scratchley's historic MKVII guns, which were famously not fired in anger until June 8 in 1942 during the shelling of Newcastle by the Japanese in the Second World War.
Fort Scratchley Historical Society president Frank Carter said his volunteer committee received no corporate support and fundraisers like Music Of The Guns were essential.
"Major maintenance is the responsibility of the council, but we do all the minor maintenance around the place which includes keeping all the guns up to scratch," Mr Carter said.
"Our biggest expense over the last few years, and continuing for another couple, is trying to complete our display rooms."
Concert-goers are urged to BYO a chair and are free to bring an esky of drinks and snacks.
Managing director of Newcastle advertising agency Out Of The Square Media, Marty Adnum, said Fort Scratchley was an iconic venue.
"We've donated our services to the Fort over the next 12 months to lift attendances because we think it's a pretty under-utilised iconic venue," Mr Adnum said.
"From our point of view we're mad passionate Novocastrians and you see some people get a lot of attention and funding and there's others that are under-serviced.
"We see Fort Scratchley Historical Society as guardians of that area and they're all volunteers."
The popular Sculptures at Scratchley is also set to return in May 2024.
The exhibition, which debuted last May, featured 48 exhibits including a massive upright white wooden whale sculpture, from Speers Point artist Michael Greve, entitled Bleaching.
