Cockatoo Island, Sydney, NSW

Prior to European settlement, the local indigenous Eora peoples were said to have used the island that was at that stage densely vegetated, which they called, Wareamah, and that we now know as Cockatoo Island for hunting and fishing. In 2000 Aboriginal activists occupied the island for a period of four months, whilst a claim for Native Title was assessed. During the occupation the group painted murals that are still partially evident today. In 2001 the High Court ruled against the claim. No evidence of past Indigenous habitation has ever been discovered on the Island.

We're On a Boat...

Sydney Ferry from Circular Quay to Cockatoo Island took about 30 mins

Drenched in built artefact this multifaceted island has been the foundation for many fascinating stories that have played out in Sydney's rich history. After European settlement the island was first used as a penal colony by Governor George Gipps for secondary offenders ("the worst of the worst") during the period from 1839 to 1869, who constructed barracks and quarried sandstone. Some of this sandstone it is said cut into blocks was used to construct the seawall of Circular Quay. The convicts by order of Gipps also constructed 20 grain storage silos, each silo painstakingly moulded out of sandstone using only hand tools. It's impressive to see the chisel marks made by the hand tools carved into the solid sandstone. This work would have literally been back breaking. In 1871 the convict precinct was repurposed as the Biloela Reformatory, for girls that had broken the law or that were orphaned. The girls, similarly to the convicts that preceded them were crammed into small sandstone block buildings with little ventilation or sunlight, the conditions, in particular the smell, must have been horrendous. Biloela is an Indigenous word for Black Cockatoo. These sandstone convict quarters are now World Heritage Listed buildings under UNESCO.

Powerhouse Smelter built in 1918

Convict Precinct Military Guardhouse

Gun Slot from inside the Guardhouse

Former Site of the Convict Sandstone Quarry

Convict Precinct Mess Hall

Convict Precinct Military Guardhouse

Ship Building Design Precinct

Top of the Convict built Grain Storage Silos

Sandstone silos, shaped like large bottles were built by convicts between 1837 to 1841

Convict built Grain Storage Silo

Despite life as penal colony and a reform school for girls, Cockatoo Island has also played a major part in Australia's maritime history, as a ship building and ship restoration port. Beginning as far back as 1847, life as a notable ship yard continued right up until 1990 when industrial sized projects were ceased due to the high cost involved transporting materials and labour to and from the island. At one point it is said at least 23 different unions operated on the Cockatoo Island Docks, leading to many unionised demarcation disputes and subsequent industrial action. Due to this intense industrial action taken by the workers, Cockatoo Island was seen as a bench-mark for worker rights. If a work place reform was granted on Cockatoo Island guaranteed it would influence trade conditions on the mainland also. The Island was a forerunner in this regard.

Fitzroy Dock, Australia's First Dry Dock constructed between 1847 and 1857. Construction could have taken less time had the convicts not been wearing iron shackles

Many large vessels were either repaired or in fact built on Cockatoo Island, including the TSMV Empress of Australia, which was the first air-conditioned ship to be built in Australia and the precursor to the Abel Tasman. Launched in 1964 with a build cost of £3.5 million carrying 250 passengers, 91 cars and a number of cargo containers the Empress was bound for Tasmania. The Empress of Australia was replaced in 1984 and went onto sail in various forms under different names until 1992, when, at this time she was named, Royal Pacific, working as a casino cruise liner, was struck by another boat in the Strait of Malacca, near Singapore and sank in a matter of minutes. Sadly nine people lost their lives. But not a bad innings for the formerly know as TSMV Empress of Australia built at Cockatoo Island.