Eighteenth-century garrison barracks overlooking Gibraltar’s harbour, now a school.
South Barracks are former military barracks in Gibraltar, built in the 1730s for the garrison. Located on the west side of Gibraltar, they overlook the docks and Gibraltar Harbour. Now owned by the Government of Gibraltar, the buildings house St. Joseph’s First and Middle School.
South Barracks are historic military barracks in what is now the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Part of the wider Fortifications of Gibraltar, they were built in the 1730s as accommodation for the garrison stationed on the Rock. Their position on the west side of Gibraltar gave them views across the docks and Gibraltar Harbour, reflecting their close relationship with the military and maritime activity around the port. The site is identified in records as a barracks installation, and imagery from 1844 by George Lothian Hall shows South Barracks as an established element of Gibraltar’s defensive and military landscape. The installation’s coordinates place it within the main urban area of Gibraltar. Ownership of South Barracks rests with the Government of Gibraltar. The former barracks buildings are no longer used for housing troops and have taken on a new civilian role. They now accommodate St. Joseph’s First and Middle School, giving the complex an educational function while retaining its historic military fabric. Through this change of use, South Barracks continues to play an active part in the daily life of Gibraltar, linking the territory’s eighteenth-century garrison history with its contemporary community.
