[1]: 125  In 1801, Governor Philip King granted Watson land at South Head, where he settled.

Today, the Macquarie Lighthouse is depicted in the centre of the crest of HMS Watson.

[3] South Head was recognised as an important site for the young colony and, as early as the first year of settlement, a signal gun from HMS Sirius was installed at South Head in order to indicate the arrival of any ships.

[2] The first permanent military presence on South Head commenced in 1871 with the development of Coastal artillery emplacements to defend the Port of Sydney.

[3] The RAN first established training facilities at South Head in 1942, when the navy's radar school was shifted there from HMAS Rushcutter.