Address & Contact
PO Box 607
Mosman
NSW 2088
Phone: (02) 8969 2100
Email: info@harbourtrust.gov.au
Web: http://www.cockatooisland.gov.au
Cockatoo Island is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. It is located at
the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers, in
Sydney Harbour,
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Cockatoo Island is an easy ferry ride from
Circular Quay. It is popular with day trippers. For those who wish to stay longer accommodation is available in some of the houses formally occupied by ship building staff and in an extensive "glamping" area. Most of the island is accessible to tourists. A
well stocked information centre has maps and self guided tour information. The tourist walks are regularly punctuate with information plaques and signs.
There are two coffee shop/cafes on the island.
Rock concerts and other entertainment events are staged in the open areas from time to time.
This island has a long history dating back to the time of first settlement. It played a significant role in the development of
Sydney and the nation. Below is a summary of the key events in its history.
Pre 1788: A natural
sandstone island, one of several in the harbour.
1839-1850: In 1839 it became the site of a new penal establishment to reduce overcrowding on Norfolk Island.
1850-1870: The Fitzroy Dock and a workshop were built by prisoners to service Royal Navy and other ships.
1870-1880: The island was used for an Industrial School for Girls and a reformatory. The ship, Vernon, was anchored nearby for the training of wayward and orphaned boys.
1880-1900: Shipbuilding and repair activities expand. Sutherland Dock was completed. The island reverted back to a gaol from 1888-1908 due to overcrowding elsewhere.
1900-1930: Cockatoo Island became the Commonwealth Naval Dockyard in 1913 and Australia built its first steel warship on the island.
1930-1945: The island became the major shipbuilding and dockyard facility for the South West Pacific in WWII following the fall of Singapore.
1945-1965: Additional buildings were constructed for shipbuilding and repair. The refit of T-Class submarines occurred and the Navy destroyers, HMAS Voyager and HMAS Vampire, were built.
1965-1992: The island's work included service and refit of
Oberon Class submarines and construction of HMAS Success. The dockyard closed in 1992, machinery was sold off, and about 40 buildings and several wharves were demolished.
2001-present: Cockatoo Island lay dormant for a decade until the
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust assumed control of the island and embarked on major restoration works. After extensive remediation works, Cockatoo Island was opened to the public in 2007. The Harbour Trust continues to actively rehabilitate the island.
2010: Cockatoo Island, together with 10 other historic convict sites in Australia, was inscribed on the UNESCO World
Heritage List.