It was administered by the Army History Unit[1] (AHU) with the assistance of volunteer members of the Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company[2](RAAHC).

The museum grounds included shaded picnic areas with barbequeues, a Harbour Lookout Area (the Observation Platform), World War II fortifications and tunnels (listed in the Australian Commonwealth National Heritage list),[3] and a Café that had extraordinary views of the entrance to Sydney Harbour and the channels to Bradleys Head and the Sydney central business district.

The move resulted from incompatible objectives of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust as owner of the site and the Army History Unit who were responsible for the collection.

[4] The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust wanted the historic North Fort area to be open to the public seven days a week, in line with their objectives to maximise public access to the former defence lands around Sydney Harbour.

The Army refused, claiming that their funding levels only permitted the opening of the museum and North Fort area on weekends.