The stone structure is at least 20 metres long and almost half as wide and while there are similar sized ruins across our region, what stands out with this derelict bastion are its windows. Instead of standard-sized holes in the wall, on all four sides of the ruin are a number of bevelled gun slits.

"Yeah, I suppose not everyone has a 175-year-old fort on their property," nonchalantly remarks Lawrie Nock who owns this slice of sheep country around 70 kilometres to Canberra's north near the township of Gunning.

Regular readers might recall it was Nock and Keith Brown of the Gunning and District Historical Society, who, along with your akubra–clad columnist recently searched this same paddock in vain for the remains of a slab-hut where Henry Dunkley was hacked to death by his wife and her lover in 1842 (Murder Most Foul, December 9.). While we didn't discover the murder location, Nock did show me this remarkable fort, the likes of which I've never seen before.

Although the origins of the fort seem to have been lost in time, there are no shortage of theories as to its purpose.

"Narrow firing slits support the fort theory, but documentary evidence is elusive," wrote the late Graeme Barrow in Unlocking History's Secrets: Journeys along the Canberra Region's Heritage Trails (Dagraja Press, 2005). Barrow explains, "a view put to me is that coaches, especially if they were transporting gold may have driven into the buildings for overnight protection from the lawless while passengers could have found lodgings in the nearby house."

While Brown agrees with Barrow's assessment of it being a fortified barn, given the lack of written evidence, he believes "its exact purpose is purely guesswork".

"Bushrangers certainly roamed this area so the slits may have been in case they raided the farm," says Brown, adding "but it could also have been used by the police because the records indicated the Yass police district took in this specific area."

Meanwhile, Nock believes the fortress wasn't built for bushrangers, nor police, but instead to protect early settlers from attack by indigenous peoples.

"I believe it was built as a fortification on the strength of the concerns of early settlers about being attacked by Aboriginals in the area," adding, "there were rumours that one of the tribes near Lake George were cannibalistic, and whether true or not that would have instilled a sense of fear in the early settlers."

"It's logical if you had a concern about safety that you'd have some sort of fortification to defend yourself," explains Nock.

"One of the few facts we know is that it was built by mid-nineteenth century Goulburn architect and prominent businessman James Sinclair and it was described as 'a barn' in the sale documents in the late 1840s," explains Nock, who suggests, "it may have been built to help sell the place".

"I've heard of similar fortifications near Bungonia, including, apparently one built into back of house," explains Nock, who, like me would like to know of any confirmed details as to their purpose.

While the true origins of Nock's fort may be lost in the mists of time, it now forms part of a fence.

"It's never been in a usable condition [as a building] since we bought the property in 1975," says Nock, who believes one of the reasons for the fort's derelict state is that "the area is on a fault line and subject to geological movement."

Irrespective of its current condition, this fort is an astonishing structure which provides a tantalising snapshot of what life may have been like for the early settlers of our region.

Bagging it up

The column's recent exposé on Mark "Smiley" Fraser, the drover taking a mob of cattle through the long paddock of the Monaro (The last of the snowy drovers, December 2) struck a chord with many readers including Nicky Darling who commented "it's great to see this actually still happening". Darling's sentiment were reflected by Lesa Coleman who not only enjoyed "seeing the mob on a recent trip," but who also reflected "on what a tough life it must be for the drover".

"It was great to read your article, for not only did it answer my questions as to where the cattle were from, but it helps raise awareness for motorists passing through the area," writes Debra Robertson of Kambah who reports she was "delighted to come across the cattle a month ago while driving to Merimbula."

Apart from slowing down the traffic, readers highlighted two other benefits of grazing the long paddock. The first is communal. "Those cows are doing a great job eating the grassfire fuel load along the highways before it dries out," writes Fred Nichols.

Meanwhile, the second benefit can only be described as entrepreneurial. "I must owe 'Smiley' a beer or two because I've loaded up five trailers of manure from his cows," explains Kurt Sedlmaier who has a holiday house not far from Cathcart and has encountered "Smiley" and his mob a number of times.

"The manure ended up on a Canberra garden," boasts the opportunistic gardener.

By Christmas there'll probably be more manure for Sedlmaier to scoop up for at last report the mob had increased to around 280 head, with many cows having calved during since they headed off from Nimmitabel in late winter.

On recent outdoor adventures, avid bushwalkers Martin and Maxine Kenseley of Rivett stumbled upon not one, but two striking faunal simulacra examples.

First, while hiking in Kosciuszko National Park, the Kenseleys noticed a rock resembling a lizard on the North Ramshead Range.

"I immediately thought Blue tongue for sure, but Maxine thinks Randall Boggs, the chameleon Monster from Monsters Inc," muses Martin. Soon after, while taking a stroll through the Pinnacle Nature Reserve near Weetangera the duo had to look twice to check the eroded end of this fallen tree wasn't a real kangaroo.

It's that time of the year when many of this column's loyal band of readers juggle beach balls and dodge seagulls while perusing this column on their favourite south coast beach or waterfront café. If that sounds like you, take time to note your surroundings because you might recognise the mystery locations in my "Where on the South Coast", competition which temporarily replaces "Where in Canberra" during the holiday season.

Clue: Close to award-winning pies

Degree of difficulty: Medium.

Last week: Congratulations to Kerri Hayes of Harrison who correctly identified last week's photo, sent as a "sculpture" of two swans in a dam on the eastern side of the Majura Parkway. "I see it every time I drive that way and use the swans as an indicator of how much rain we have had," explains Hayes, adding "during the recent rain the water level got up to their necks!"

Special note to Lauren Brand of Spence who noticed it last weekend "with a friend riding together on a tandem bicycle."

The artwork bears an uncanny resemblance to part of the ACT coat of arms which also features a black and a white swan which represents Aboriginal Australians and white settlers.

How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday, December 16, 2017 will win a double pass to Dendy.