Cockatoo Island Management Plan 2017 (Cth)

Cockatoo Island Management Plan 2017

I, JOSH FRYDENBERG, Minister for the Environment and Energy, acting pursuant to section 316(1) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, hereby make the Cockatoo Island Management Plan 2017, to manage Cockatoo Island, a property that is included in the World Heritage List and is entirely within a Commonwealth Area.

I, DAVID WILLIAMS, Assistant Secretary, Heritage Branch, Heritage, Reef and Marine Division of the Department of the Environment and Energy, acting pursuant to section 324S(2) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, hereby revoke the Cockatoo Island Management Plan 2010 and replace it with the Cockatoo Island Management Plan 2017, to protect and manage the National Heritage values of the National Heritage place, Cockatoo Island.

I, MARY DARWELL, Executive Director Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, acting pursuant to section 341S(2) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, hereby revoke the Cockatoo Island Management Plan 2010 and replace it with the Cockatoo Island Management Plan 2017, to protect and manage the Commonwealth Heritage values of the Commonwealth Heritage place, Cockatoo Island.

This instrument commences on the day after it is registered.

JOSH FRYDENBERG

Dated   21 December 2017

DAVID WILLIAMS

Dated   14 December 2017

MARY DARWELL

Dated   3 November 2017

The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust acknowledges the development of this Cockatoo Island Management Plan by staff at the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, and is grateful to all those organisations and individuals who have contributed. A special thankyou is given to the members of the Community Advisory Committee and Friends of Cockatoo Island for assisting with the development of the Plan and for their invaluable comments and suggestions throughout the drafting period. Thank you also to the members of the community who attended information sessions or provided comment, and to the staff of the Department of the Environment and Energy, who made a valuable contribution to the preparation of the Plan.

Authors:

Staff of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust

Main Consultant Providers:

Government Architect’s Office, NSW Department of Commerce

Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd

John Jeremy

For full list of consultants see Related Studies section of Plan

Copyright © Sydney Harbour Federation Trust 2017.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to:

Director Marketing, Communications & Visitor Experience

Sydney Harbour Federation Trust

PO Box 607, Mosman, NSW 2088

or email [email protected]

For more information about the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust or to view this publication online, visit the website at:

Table of Contents

1.        Introduction

2.        Aims of this Plan

3.        Planning Framework

Relationship with the Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan

Related Harbour Trust Policies and Guidelines

Statutory Planning Context

Plans Prepared for Neighbouring Lands

4.        Site Description

5.        Site History

6.        Analysis and Assessment

Heritage Listings

Conservation Management Plans

Archaeological Assessments

Cultural Landscape

Natural Values

Site Contamination

Remediation & Decontamination Works Undertaken to Date

Compliance with the Building Code of Australia

Repairs to Buildings and Structures

Condition of Services

Transport Management

Noise Impact Assessment

7.        Heritage Values

Cockatoo Island’s Character

Summary Statement of Significance, Convict Buildings and Remains CMP

Summary Statement of Significance, Cockatoo Island Dockyard CMP

World Heritage Listing

World Heritage Values

World Heritage Listing - Summary Statement of Significance

National and Commonwealth Heritage Values

Condition of Values

Management Requirements and Goals

Conservation Policies

8.        Outcomes

Vision

Design Outcomes

Precinct Outcomes

Accessibility

Noise

Water Sensitive Urban Design

Water Sensitive Urban Design

Remediation and Management Strategy

Ecologically Sustainable Development

Interpretation

9.        Implementation

Implementation Plan

Monitoring and Review of the Plan

10.      Images and Acknowledgements

11.      Related Studies

12.      Appendices

Table of Figures

Figure 1: Management Plan Area

Figure 2: The Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan

Figure 3: Drawing by JS Prout of Cockatoo Island and Spectacle Island

Figure 4: Precinct Areas

Figure 5: Local Area Context

Figure 6: 1869 engraving depicting convict life on Cockatoo Island

Figure 7: Phases of Development

Figure 8: Section through No 5 silo

Figure 9: Photograph of quarried sandstone (1890s)

Figure 10: Drawing of Cockatoo Island in 1845

Figure 11: Photograph of young boys from old ship “Vernon”

Figure 12: Photograph of young boys from training ship “Sobraon” (1898)

Figure 13: Photograph of main walkway through Plateau (1890s)

Figure 14: Photograph of weatherboard workroom in the female gaol precinct (1890s)

Figure 15: HMS Galatea in the Fitzroy Dock (1870)

Figure 16: Engineers’ & Blacksmiths’ Shop (Building 138) c.1870

Figure 17: Photograph of interior of Machine Shop (Building 141) (1914)

Figure 18: Photograph of publication: “Cockatoo Docks Sydney 1939-1945 War Record”

Figure 19: USS New Orleans

Figure 20: Dockyard apprentices assembled at the Fitzroy Dock (1947)

Figure 21: Drawing Office (Building 10)

Figure 22: Workers involved in refit of the Oberon Class submarines

Figure 23: Launch of HMAS Success (1984)

Figure 24: Environmental Considerations

Figure 25: Land Bases and Passenger Transport Routes

Figure 26: Outcomes – Overall

Figure 27: Public Domain Structure

Figure 28: Outcomes – Southern Apron

Figure 29: Southern Apron Ideas

Figure 30: Southern Apron – Possible New Building Envelopes

Figure 31: Outcomes – Eastern Apron

Figure 32: Eastern Apron Ideas

Figure 33: Eastern Apron – Possible New Building Envelope

Figure 34: Outcomes – Northern Apron

Figure 35: Northern Apron – Ideas

Figure 36: Outcomes – Plateau

Figure 37: Convict Trail

Figure 38: Possible Convict Trail on Plateau

Figure 39: Interpretation Opportunities

1. Introduction

On 21 August 2003 the Minister for the Environment and Heritage approved a Comprehensive Plan for the harbour sites managed by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust (the Harbour Trust). The plan, which was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act 2001, sets out the Harbour Trust’s vision for the sites under its control.

A requirement of the Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan is that more detailed management plans are prepared for specific precincts, places or buildings. In addition to this the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 requires the Harbour Trust to make plans to protect and manage the National Heritage values and Commonwealth Heritage values of National and Commonwealth Heritage Places. Cockatoo Island is identified on both the National and the Commonwealth Heritage Lists.

Cockatoo Island Convict Site is one of 11 historic sites that together form the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property. This plan includes measures to protect the World Heritage values of Cockatoo Island.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Management Plan is to guide the outcomes proposed in the Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan, to satisfy the requirements of Schedules 5, 5A, 5B, 7A and 7B of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (EPBC Regulation) and to be consistent with the World, National and Commonwealth Heritage management principles.

The Comprehensive Plan proposes the revival of Cockatoo Island as a working maritime site and as a functioning, active part of Sydney’s cultural life. Its heritage values are to be protected and the island is to be freely accessible to the general public. The island’s rich history will be recognised and will inspire its revival.

The island will become home to an array of complementary uses and activities, ranging from those which tap into the island’s past, such as maritime and related industries, to entirely new uses such as cultural events, short-stay accommodation and restaurants.

In keeping with tradition, existing buildings and structures will be adaptively reused. Significant heritage artefacts will be conserved and will form an important aspect of the island’s attractions as well as facilitating people’s understanding of its past. Parkland and vantage points will provide opportunities for people to enjoy the island and the harbour.

The island’s future has generated great public interest and passion. However, its planning is also recognised by many as challenging. This is due to the:

• Difficulties of transporting materials and passengers to and from it;
• Number, variety and condition of the buildings;
• Complex heritage overlays;
• Size of the island;
• Contamination; and
• Hazardous conditions (public safety).

Having regard for these complexities and the length of time during which this plan will be implemented, the Harbour Trust concluded that it is not desirable to attempt to identify detailed outcomes for the whole island. Accordingly, this plan aims to provide a long-term vision and a framework for decision making that is sufficiently flexible to accommodate new ideas and change and that is consistent with and does not adversely impact on the statutory heritage values of the place. The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust is committed to the conservation of the World, National and Commonwealth Heritage values of its places, and this commitment is reflected in its Act, its corporate planning documents and processes. This Management Plan, which satisfies sections 316, 324S and 341S of the EPBC Act 1999, provides the framework and basis for the conservation and management of Cockatoo Island in recognition of its heritage values.

The Harbour Trust’s Heritage Strategy, which details the Harbour Trust’s objectives and strategic approach for the conservation of heritage values, was prepared under section 341ZA of the EPBC Act 1999 and accepted by the Minister. The policies in this plan support the directions of the Heritage Strategy, and indicate the objectives for identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to all generations of the Commonwealth and National Heritage values of the place.

Commencement Date

This plan was developed by the Harbour Trust in 2008 and reviewed by the Australian Heritage Council in December 2008. Revisions were made and the Plan is now considered to be consistent with the National and Commonwealth Heritage management principles. Notice of this Plan was published in the Government Gazette on 23 June 2010 and registered as a legislative instrument on 2 September 2010. The Plan takes effect from 23 June 2010.

In 2016, the Plan was reviewed in accordance with ss 324W and 341X of the EPBC Act, which recommended the Plan be amended. The Plan (as amended) takes effect from the date after registration on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.

Land to which the Management Plan Applies

The land covered by the Management Plan is shown by broken black edging on the plan at Figure 1. All of the land including the bed of the harbour is within Lot 1 DP 549630 and is in the ownership of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

Figure 1: Management Plan Area

2 AIMS OF THE PLAN

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1. Aims of this Plan

To achieve the Harbour Trust’s vision for the island this Management Plan aims to:

• Conserve, protect and manage the World, National and Commonwealth Heritage values of the island as an historic place within Sydney Harbour and facilitate its interpretation, appreciation and adaptive reuse;
• Be consistent with the World, National and Commonwealth Heritage management principles;

• Provide general public access to the island;
• Facilitate the transport of people and goods to and from the island by providing appropriate waterfront infrastructure;
• Revive the island by reintroducing maritime and related industry as well as a range of complementary uses including cultural, entertainment, dining, education, recreation, retail, offices and studios;
• Establish Cockatoo Island as a place of public enjoyment by providing public open space and the creation of venues for cultural events; and
• Apply the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development to the revitalisation of the island.

In doing this, it also aims to:

• Provide opportunities for visitors to understand and appreciate the rich and varied history of the island by providing for site interpretation, education and appropriate uses;
• Provide visitor facilities and amenities including safe pedestrian paths, viewing areas, lookouts and access to the convict precinct, the docks, tunnels, cranes and other historic structures;
• Realise the potential for easy access including access for the disabled;
• Enhance views to and from the island;
• Manage the flora and fauna remaining on the site and interpret the original harbour landscape;
• Improve the quality of stormwater runoff in order to reverse adverse impacts on the harbour; and
• Apply remediation strategies consistent with the range of proposed land uses while reducing any adverse environmental impact on the harbour.

3 PLANNING FRAMEWORK

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1. Planning Framework

Relationship with the Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan

This Management Plan is the middle level of a three tiered comprehensive planning system developed to guide the future of the Harbour Trust’s lands.

The other levels are:

§  The Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan - this is an overarching plan that provides a process for the preparation of Management Plans; and

§  Specific projects or actions - actions are defined in the EPBC Act 1999 and are similar to the concept of development in NSW planning legislation.

This Management Plan has to be interpreted in conjunction with the Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan, in particular the Outcomes identified in Part 5 of the Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan and the Objectives and Policies in Part 3.

The Outcomes diagram in Part 5 of the Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan for Cockatoo Island is reproduced at Figure 2. Conservation policies in this plan provide guidance on how these outcomes can be managed in a way that protects, conserves, presents and transmits to all generations the National and Commonwealth Heritage values.

The Objectives and Policies most relevant to this Management Plan are those relating to working harbour, tourism, contamination, water quality and catchment protection, cultural heritage, adaptive re-use of places and buildings, access, open space and recreation, and education. These Objectives and Policies were addressed during the assessment of the site and are discussed in more detail in the relevant sections of this plan.

Related Harbour Trust Policies and Guidelines

There are a number of overarching Policies and Guidelines foreshadowed in the Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan that will be developed over the lifetime of the Harbour Trust and that will also guide the conservation and adaptive reuse of the island. Current relevant policies are:

§  The Harbour Trust’s Corporate Plan;

§  The Harbour Trust’s Leasing of Land and Buildings Policy;

§  The Harbour Trust’s policy for the Leasing of Land and Buildings to Community Users;

§  The Harbour Trust Event Policy;

§  The Harbour Trust’s Heritage Strategy; and

§  The Harbour Trust’s Interpretation Strategy for Cockatoo Island.

This Management Plan has regard for these existing policies. If or when other Harbour Trust Policies and Guidelines are developed this plan will be reviewed to ensure that they do not impact adversely on the World, National and Commonwealth heritage values.

Statutory Planning Context

Commonwealth Legislation

All ‘actions’ on Harbour Trust land, undertaken by either the Harbour Trust or on behalf of the Harbour Trust, are controlled by the EPBC Act.

Section 26 of the EPBC Act 1999 protects Commonwealth land from actions taken on or outside it that may have a significant impact on

the environment. Section 28 protects the environment from actions taken by the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth agency that may have a significant impact.

The environment is defined to include:

a)ecosystems and their constituent parts, including people and communities; and

b)natural and physical resources; and

c)the qualities and characteristics of locations, places and areas; and

d)heritage values of places; and

e)the social, economic and cultural aspects of a thing mentioned in paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) above.

Sections 318 and 341ZC of the Act requires the Harbour Trust to have regard for the World, National and Commonwealth Heritage values of a place before it takes an action, and to minimise the impact that the action might have on those values. This plan includes the World, Commonwealth and National Heritage values taken from the statutory heritage listings of the island.

State Legislation

The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act 2001 specifically excludes any land owned by the Harbour Trust from the operations of state planning law. This includes State Policies (SEPPs) and Regional Environmental Plans (REPs) prepared by the State Government and Local Environmental Plans (LEPs) prepared by councils.

Notwithstanding this the Harbour Trust has prepared this plan so that it is consistent with both State and local plans. The relevant state statutory plans are:

Sydney Regional Environmental Plan – Sydney Harbour Catchment 2005

This SREP applies to the whole of Sydney Harbour’s waterways, the foreshores and entire harbour catchment. It provides a framework for future planning, development and management of the waterway, heritage items, islands, wetland protection areas and foreshores of Sydney Harbour. Under the SREP, Cockatoo Island is included in the catchment area of Sydney Harbour, as a foreshores and waterways area and is also listed as a strategic foreshore site. Potential impacts on Cockatoo Island resulting from development in NSW are assessed through this instrument. The planning principles of the SREP relevant to the island include:

§Development that is visible from the waterways or foreshores is to maintain, protect and enhance the unique visual qualities of Sydney Harbour;

§Development is to protect and, if practicable, rehabilitate watercourses, wetlands, riparian corridors, remnant native vegetation and ecological connectivity within the catchment;

§The number of publicly accessible vantage points for viewing Sydney Harbour should be increased;

§Public access to and along the foreshore and waterways should be increased, maintained and improved;

§Public access along foreshore land should be provided on land used for industrial or commercial maritime purposes where such access does not interfere with the use of the land for those purposes;

§The use of foreshore land adjacent to land used for industrial or commercial maritime purposes should be compatible with those purposes;

§Water-based public transport (such as ferries) should be encouraged to link with land-based public transport (such as buses and trains) at appropriate public spaces along the waterfront;

§The provision and use of public boating facilities along the waterfront should be encouraged;

§Sydney Harbour and its islands and foreshores should be recognised and protected as places of exceptional heritage significance;

§An appreciation of the role of Sydney Harbour in the history of the Aboriginal and European settlement should be encouraged;

§The natural, scenic, environmental and cultural qualities of the Foreshores and Waterways Area should be protected;

§Significant fabric, settings, relics and views associated with the heritage significance of heritage items should be conserved; and

§Archaeological sites and places of Aboriginal heritage significance should be conserved.

Local Government

Cockatoo Island does not fall within any Local Government Area (LGA). However, it has an obvious relationship with the neighbouring LGAs of Leichhardt, Canada Bay and Hunters Hill. Most of these areas are zoned for residential purposes and these zones are described in Section 12 – Background Material, of the Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan. The characteristics of these areas and the nature of the relationship they have with the island are described in the section of this plan dealing with “Surrounding Lands”.

Plans Prepared for Neighbouring Lands

Plans and policies prepared by neighbouring land managers provide a context for this Management plan. The following are particularly relevant:

New South Wales Roads and Maritime Services

The NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) is an arm of Transport for NSW and is responsible for the development, management and use of waterways in NSW’s major ports, including Sydney Harbour. RMS is also responsible for approving (or requiring the demolition of) wharves or other structures that extend beyond the boundary of the Harbour Trust land. To assist in these processes it has prepared a number of policies that it considers when deciding whether to grant approval or not. These include:

§  Obtaining permission to lodge a development application;

§  Engineering Standards and Guidelines for Maritime Structures; and

§  Marine Habitat Survey Guidelines.

Figure 2: The Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan

4 SITE DESCRIPTION

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1. Site Description

Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour at the confluence of the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers. In its original state, it was a heavily timbered sandstone knoll, rising to 18 metres above sea level. Originally it was only 12.9 hectares in size, however, its land area has been expanded to 17.9 hectares through extensive cutting, reclamation and filling. Almost all of the original land area of the island has been removed, and the current vegetation includes plants growing on the cliff faces and plantings of exotic species in the garden areas.

The island is characterised by a diversity derived from its incremental development over a long period of time. This diversity, combined with the topography make it difficult to perceive the island as a unified entity.

The island was vacant between 1992 and 2001, and many of the buildings deteriorated during this time. Some areas also contain contamination and industrial hazards resulting from over a century of shipbuilding. The lower area of the island still accommodates a range of industrial buildings, concrete pads from demolished buildings, cranes, dry docks and wharf related structures. However, many buildings and wharves were demolished after the closure of the dockyard, and this has resulted in large open areas on the northern and eastern foreshores.

Figure 3: Drawing by JS Prout of Cockatoo Island and Spectacle Island

This 1843 drawing by J.S Prout shows the southern side of Cockatoo Island with Spectacle Island to the left. It was drawn 4 years after the first convicts arrived but already the effectiveness with which they cleared the vegetation is apparent. It also shows the original topography of the island before large parts of it were quarried away and the extensive land reclamations undertaken.

Figure 4 - Precinct Areas identifies the areas referred to in this management plan as the Southern, Northern and Eastern aprons and the Plateau. Appendix 1 identifies all of the locations and building numbers of existing and previous buildings and their uses.

The buildings on the Southern Apron are the most intact of the maritime aprons. These include the two dry docks, a number of robust industrial buildings, wharves, slipways, cranes and other

maritime related infrastructure. There is no clear order in the layout of these buildings, however, many are built of similar materials and are similar in scale and this gives the area a cohesive built character.

The Northern Apron faces Woolwich peninsular. It is a large open area with only a few structures remaining. From the water it appears as a grassed open space with a vegetated backdrop. At its western end there are two large slipways and associated cranes that were previously used for shipbuilding and repairs. Adjacent to the slipways are the Powerhouse, brick chimney and sewage treatment plant. An extensive rock shoreline that replaced wharves that were demolished when the island was vacated provides an edge to this precinct and has become a nesting area for Silver Gulls. Much of the Northern Apron has been landscaped and is used as a camping ground with public amenities and covered barbecue / eating area.

The Eastern Apron has two distinct areas – the entry area and a group of workshops further to the south. The entry area includes the Parramatta ferry wharf, the former Administration Building, remnants of a memorial garden and a large, east facing open area with a stone cliff as a backdrop. The second area includes a series of waterfront workshops arranged so that they create a street between them. These buildings include the stone, convict-built workshops, the Turbine Shop, the Pattern Shop, Tool Store, Canteen as well as several other industrial buildings and the Bolt Wharf.

The Plateau or upper area of the Island includes three distinct areas. At its western end there is the convict gaol and associated sandstone buildings and walls. The central area includes a row of multi-storey workshops that were built on the sites of the former convict water tanks and quarry yard. The eastern end is characterised by a group of houses, including the Superintendent’s Quarters “Biloela House”, whose backyards meet, forming an arrangement of lawns, garden beds, and exotic trees. Also included in this area are the convict grain silos, the WW II searchlight tower and the landmark water tower.

Surrounding Lands

Cockatoo Island is the largest of the three islands that were known in the 1820s as the ‘Hen and Chickens’. The other two are Snapper which is also a Harbour Trust site, and Spectacle, which is occupied by the Australian Navy. See Figure 5 - Local Area Context.

Cockatoo also shares a convict and maritime heritage with Goat Island, located 2km to the east. This presents opportunities for future joint interpretation and public visitation.

The island also has a relationship with the surrounding mainland areas, including Woolwich, Birchgrove, Balmain, Rozelle, Drummoyne and Birkenhead.

The Parramatta River foreshores of Woolwich face directly onto the Island. This includes the recreational areas of Clarkes Point Reserve and the Horse Paddock, the Hunters Hill Sailing Club and Woolwich Marina. Further up the slope the land is zoned for residential purposes and is characterised by low to medium density housing. There are also a number of restaurants and cafes and the Woolwich Pier Hotel located at the top of the ridge.

To the south of the island, the foreshores of Leichhardt Local Government Area (LGA) face onto the island and include the suburbs of Birchgrove, Rozelle and Balmain. These areas are characterised by late 19^th century terrace and semi-detached residences with some higher density residential redevelopment on former industrial sites - most notably the Balmain Cove development on the site of the former Balmain Power Station. These areas are mainly zoned for residential purposes and there is unlikely to be any significant change.

The eastern foreshore of Canada Bay LGA includes the suburbs of Drummoyne and Birkenhead Point and these also face the island. These areas are mostly developed with medium to high-density residential development with some free standing and semi-detached housing. There is also a large marina and associated retail development at Birkenhead Point and nearby the Drummoyne Sailing Club and adjoining parklands.

For all of these residential areas, the impacts on amenity of noise, light, traffic and parking are important. Accordingly the Harbour Trust has been careful to address these issues during the preparation of this Management Plan. See the Analysis and Assessment and the Outcomes sections of this plan.

Figure 4: Precinct Areas

Updated drawing

Figure 5: Local Area Context

Updated drawing

5 SITE HISTORY

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1. Site History

Aboriginal Heritage

It was recorded by early colonists that Aboriginal people of the Sydney region called Cockatoo Island Wa-rea-mah. Aboriginal people inhabited the area for thousands of years prior to European settlement and the island may have been used as a fishing base.

No physical evidence of Aboriginal heritage has been found on the island, and the activities that have taken place and the alteration of the physical landscape make it unlikely that any evidence of Aboriginal use or occupation remains intact.

European Heritage

European occupation of Cockatoo Island began in 1839 when the first prisoners were transferred there. Since then it has been used to accommodate a girls’ reformatory and industrial school, boys’ training schemes and shipbuilding and repairs.

The buildings and artefacts that remain on Cockatoo Island represent all these phases of its occupation and development, from the convict gaol to the last structures built to carry out the Oberon Class submarine refits. Traditionally, buildings on Cockatoo Island have been retained, re-used and adapted to suit current needs. Periods of use overlapped and buildings were put to many different uses. The Island contains several areas of High Archaeological significance. Buildings, gardens, artefacts, ephemera, and most importantly the patina and historic layout are all still represented. Convict grain silos can be found side by side with a WW II search light tower, a steam powered crane with the convict constructed dock, and dockyard graffiti with the mercury arc glass rectifiers in the powerhouse. As a consequence, the island is a rich mosaic of all these things and is of exceptional heritage value.

The buildings remaining from these different phases of development are shown on Figure 7.

Arrival of the Convicts

In February 1839 sixty convicts were relocated to Cockatoo Island to alleviate overcrowding at Norfolk Island. Cockatoo Island was chosen because its isolation by water offered security for the people of Sydney while allowing easy supervision by the colonial administration. The island was to soon gain a justifiable reputation as a grim and brutalising place.

The newly arrived convicts were put to work quarrying the stone for the prison buildings that were to become their accommodation. The island had no naturally occurring supply of drinking water and so they also manually excavated large water tanks and, in what was a controversial attempt to ensure a reliable supply of grain for the colony, they excavated large bottle shaped silos to store surplus wheat (see Figures 6 and 8). The colony had suffered chronic grain shortages and in an attempt to prevent this reoccurring Governor Gipps proposed storing grain for use during times when the harvest was poor. On Cockatoo he had a supply of free labour to undertake the excavation and the security of the island to ensure the safety of the stored grain. However, the Colonial administration in London saw this as unnecessary interference in the free market and ordered that the grain be released for sale.

Many of the buildings constructed during this phase of the island’s development, including the barracks, guard house, grain silos, engine house workshop, some residences and the Fitzroy Dock, are still extant and although some have been adapted for new uses they none-the-less tell a coherent story of early, colonial prison life. See the 1857 plan of the island reproduced at Figure 10.

A Dockyard and Prison

Convict labour facilitated the beginning of shipbuilding and repair on the island.

The island was strategically placed to support the development of Port Jackson as a trading centre and this potential was identified early in the life of the colony. The construction of a dry dock was considered crucial to this outcome and as a consequence Governor Gipps sought approval from the Imperial Administration in London to construct a dock using convict labour. In preparation, he instructed that the convicts begin preparing the site for the dock.

In 1845 the inmates commenced their most ambitious undertaking, the construction of the Fitzroy Dock. This work was the first of its kind in the Australian colonies and unlike most other dry docks in other parts of the world, was excavated from solid rock. The site chosen for the dock required the removal of large sandstone cliffs with an average height of 45 feet just to clear a shore level space large enough to accommodate the dock. The dock was named in honour of the NSW Governor Sir Charles Augustus Fitz Roy and took nine years to construct. It commenced operations in December 1857 when convict labour was used to overhaul the British naval brig, HMS Herald. In the years that followed the Fitzroy Dock was predominantly occupied with the repair and servicing of Royal Navy ships.

Figure 6: 1869 engraving depicting convict life on Cockatoo Island

The first prisoners to arrive from Norfolk Island were accommodated in tents, prison boxes and portable houses borrowed from Goat Island. However, by the time this engraving was made the convicts had constructed an array of permanent buildings. The top image shows a convict pouring grain into one of the underground silos that Governor Gipps had excavated to store the colony’s surplus grain. The central image shows the Mess Hall in the Prisoners’ Barracks (Building 3).

Figure 7: Phases of Development

Updated drawing

Figure 8: Section through No 5 silo

One of the earliest tasks undertaken by the convicts on Cockatoo Island was to excavate large underground silos. This drawing is of a typical section through No.5 silo. The only access to the silos was via a manhole about 2 feet in diameter. Convicts working to carve the silos were forced to remain underground until they had hewn the required daily quota of stone. It is believed that there were originally 20 silos on the island. However, the exact number still extant is not known because several are believed to be hidden under asphalt paving near Biloela House. Others were destroyed during the excavation undertaken to accommodate the workshops built during WW II.

Figure 9: Photograph of quarried sandstone (1890s)

Sandstone quarried by the convicts was used to build many of the buildings on the island. It was also used for building works in Sydney, including the construction of Semi-Circular Quay. This photograph was taken in the 1890s during the second, or Biloela Gaol phase when prisoners who were capable of heavy work quarried and dressed stone in the paddock between the men’s and women’s sections.

Convict labour was also used to build the fine sandstone Engineers’ and Blacksmiths’ Shop (Building 138), which still stands near the dock. This is one of the first buildings associated with the operation of the Fitzroy Dock and was built to a Royal Engineers’ design, with the Portsmouth Steam Factory in England used as the prototype. The Dock and Building 138 are an outstanding example of the use of convict labour to provide a major piece of infrastructure for the colony, as recognised by the World Heritage listing of Cockatoo Island Convict Site as part of the greater Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property. The machinery in the workshop was operated by steam until 1901 and some evidence of the original equipment remains. The use of convicts to build the Dock and the Engineers’ and Blacksmiths’ Workshop building, two major pieces of infrastructure, addresses one of the major World Heritage criteria for the listing of Cockatoo Island.

During this time the island was both a prison and a dockyard, with the convicts providing the labour needed to run the dock. However, these two uses resulted in management conflict, which was partly overcome with the appointment of Gother Kerr Mann as Superintendent of the Prison as well as Engineer of the Dockyard.

Conditions for the convicts were extremely harsh. Their accommodation was overcrowded and sickness was common. As a result, a Select Committee appointed in 1861 to enquire into public prisons criticised the management of Cockatoo, declaring that the “moral axioms of the present age” had obviously exerted no influence upon its running. Although only a few small changes were made after the Select Committee enquiry, the Island continued to operate as a prison for another eight years. By this time all but one of the prisoners had been sentenced in the colony and in 1869 the Cockatoo Island prison closed and the inmates were moved to Darlinghurst Goal.

Reformatory and Training

Shortly before the closure of the prison the government passed two Acts that aimed to provide care, education and training for neglected and abandoned children and to establish institutions for girls under the age of 16 who would otherwise have been placed in an ordinary prison.

The abandoned prison buildings on Cockatoo Island presented an opportunity to implement these Acts and in 1871 the prison buildings were adapted as an industrial training school and reformatory for girls. The island was also renamed Biloela, a North Queensland Aboriginal word for Cockatoo. This was an attempt to distance the island from the stigma attached to the former prison.

The reformatory was located away from the industrial school in one of the free overseers’ cottages (probably Building 9) while the industrial school was accommodated in the former prison barracks and mess hall. A ten-foot high fence was built to separate the reformatory and school from the dockyard.

For the younger girls the industrial school was essentially a boarding school, while the older ones were taught skills to equip them for domestic service once they left the island.

Figure 10: Drawing of Cockatoo Island in 1845

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Figure 11: Photograph of young boys from old ship “Vernon”

In 1871, an old ship, the ‘Vernon’, was anchored off the northeast corner of the island as a nautical training ship for homeless or orphaned boys. In addition to nautical skills, the boys were taught trades such as tailoring, carpentry, shoe and sail making. They also undertook the formidable task of getting the island’s vegetable gardens in order, planting fruit and ornamental trees and levelling and sowing the recreation and drill ground. For this later task 250 tons of soil was transported from Woolwich by punt. This photograph shows a small group of the boys working in a vegetable garden on the island.

Figure 12: Photograph of young boys from training ship “Sobraon” (1898)

This photograph was taken in 1898. It shows a group of boys from the second of the training ships, the ‘Sobraon,’ with their pet emu on the island’s recreation ground where they played cricket, rounders, football and other games. In the background is the boathouse, which was associated with the ‘Sobraon’. The chimney and belltower of the convict built Engineers’ and Blacksmiths’ Shop (Building 138) are also visible.

Conditions for the girls were overcrowded, particularly cold in winter, and the buildings still bore too close a resemblance to a prison to be in any way comfortable. During the first few years their treatment was appallingly harsh and in November 1873 the school was reported to be in a state of insurrection. This was addressed by the appointment of a new Matron in 1875 who restored order and treated the girls with respect.

In 1879 the reformatory was closed and this freed up buildings for the industrial school but the extra accommodation was soon compromised by the construction of the Sutherland Dock. The industrial school remained until 1888 when it was moved to the former Roman Catholic Orphanage at Parramatta.

At the same time as the reformatory and industrial school were accommodated on the island, an old ship, the Vernon, was anchored off its northeast corner and was used to house delinquent and orphaned boys. In 1890 the Vernon was replaced by the Sobraon, which remained there until 1911. The Sobraon was a much larger ship and was able to accommodate 500 boys. The boys were segregated from the girls, and, later, from the prisoners at Biloela Gaol. They were taught trades such as tailoring, carpentry, shoe and sail making and space was made available on the island for them to grow vegetables. A patch of land on the apron east of Biloela House (Building 22) was used as their recreation area (see Figure 12) and a swimming enclosure was later added. However, subsequent development on the island has removed all visible evidence of their existence.

A Gaol Again

In 1888 Cockatoo Island was once again used as a prison. This time it was to ease overcrowding at Darlinghurst Gaol and for the first time it accommodated both male and female prisoners who were considered to be habitual offenders, incapable of reform.

The women occupied a compound in the centre of the island (now replaced by Buildings 12 and 13) while the men were housed in the barracks to the west. This accommodation was recognised as inadequate but few alterations or improvements took place because it was always intended to be temporary.

Prisoners still quarried stone but any building work that took place was executed under contract. The turnover of prisoners was high, with as many as 70 admissions a week. See Figures 13 and 14 for photos from this period.

In its final years the gaol only housed female prisoners and in 1908 those that remained were relocated to Little Bay.

This ended the island’s long role as a prison and dockyard and facilitated its emergence as the State Dockyard.

Figure 13: Photograph of main walkway through Plateau (1890s)

This photo, taken during the Biloela Gaol period (c.1890s) shows the main walkway along the plateau of the island from the Military Officers’ Quarters (Building 2). It illustrates how the prison precinct was designed to maximise surveillance, with a clear line of sight from the sentry box on the right up to the female gaol precinct in the distance. On the left of the path is a row of cottages originally built in 1850 as accommodation for the Free Overseers (extant today are Buildings 9 & 11). At the time this photograph was taken, the cottages were used as warders’ accommodation

Figure 14: Photograph of weatherboard workroom in the female gaol precinct (1890s)

Female prisoners carried out needlework for the Government Stores and this photo shows lengths of cloth and the sewing machinery used by the women.

Dockyard and Shipbuilding

Throughout the time that the island was used for institutional purposes the dockyard continued to operate and expand. However, with the closure of the prison in 1869 it could no longer rely on convict labour and its administration was split between the Department of Prisons and the Public Works Department.

Figure 15: HMS Galatea in the Fitzroy Dock (1870)

The Galatea was visiting Australia as part of an around the world tour undertaken by Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. The elegant stone building to the right of the dock is the Engineers’ and Blacksmiths’ Shop (Building 138), which was built by convict labour in various stages. This photograph shows the first two stages including the bell tower. The building was subsequently altered in the early 20^th century by the addition of a second floor to accommodate the brass finishing shop and is now obscured by new buildings that have been erected in front of it.

Shipbuilding, mostly small scale, began in 1870 and by the beginning of WW I over 150 dredges, barges and tugs had been built. Most of this early shipbuilding activity took place on the slipways located to the east of the Engineers’ and Blacksmiths’ Shop (Building 138) on the eastern apron.

As early as 1870 the increase in dockyard activity and in the size of the ships created a need for a second, larger dock at Cockatoo. The engineer Louis Samuel won the contract to build a new dock, the Sutherland Dock, which was constructed by free labour between 1882 and 1890. By world standards, the design and construction of the new dock were outstanding.

The construction of the new dock required the excavation of a massive amount of rock and soil and this was used to reclaim land south of the dock, expanding the southern apron and allowing the expansion of dockyard facilities. The northern cut saw the demolition of the isolation cell block next to the Guardhouse. The first structure to be built as part of the dockyard’s expansion into the former prison area on the crown of the island was the Mould Loft (Building 6), which was completed in 1911. The new dock also generated building activity on the eastern apron, where the General Store (Building 123) was built between 1901 and 1908. This is one of the most architecturally elaborate workshops and is also associated with the final phase of New South Wales Government control over the island.

Commonwealth Naval Dockyard 1913-1933

Following Federation ownership of the island was transferred from the NSW Public Works Department to the Commonwealth Government and it became the dockyard of the Royal Australian Navy.

New machine tools were purchased from Britain and the island developed as a naval dockyard with a much greater capacity for building and repairing warships. The building program affected most parts of the island. No. 1 Slipway was upgraded and extended and new dockyard buildings were built on the plateau at the site of the former convict work yard. These included the Drawing Office c.1919 (Building 10), the Electrical Shop c.1916 (Building 15) and the Timber Store c.1916 (Building 19). The prison buildings were adapted for administration purposes, with the Mess Hall (Building 3) becoming the main office of the dockyard, the northern and eastern wings of the Prison Barracks (Building 5) converted to a Ship Drawing and an Engine Drawing Office and the southern wing used as a boardroom.

Figure 16: Engineers’ & Blacksmiths’ Shop (Building 138) c.1870

At the time this photograph was taken, the Fitzroy Dock and the maintenance workshops were transferred to the control of the NSW Harbour and Rivers Department. The dockyard no longer relied on convict labour and the men in this photograph would have been free, paid labour.

This period also saw the construction of the Parramatta and Camber Wharves, the Destroyer and Sutherland Wharves and the roadway tunnel connecting the docks to the northern shipyard.

Wartime

WW I prompted significant growth in the dockyard with up to 4000 men employed building war ships and converting merchant ships for war service. New workshops had to be erected quickly and were mostly metal framed structures clad in corrugated iron. Although many of these buildings may have been seen as temporary, most of them remained for the rest of the dockyard’s life.

Six houses were erected on the eastern end of the plateau. These included the Medical Officer’s Assistant and Police Residence (Building 21), the Launch Driver and Coxswain’s Residence (Building 23) and Managerial Staff Residences (Building 24).

A new power station was also built. Throughout the war the dockyard’s steam power supply was a problem and in 1918, a new coal fired powerhouse (Building 58) was completed. This supplied all the power, lighting and hydraulic needs of the dockyard. It also powered the pumps that emptied and filled the docks. This powerhouse remains intact with much of its equipment in situ, including the elevated main switchboard, the largest surviving marble paneled DC switchboard in Australia, the mercury arc glass rectifier bank (installed in 1937 when the island was connected to the mainland AC electricity supply) and the two centrifugal hydraulic pumps. The adjacent boiler house and steam turbines were removed in the 1960s but the brick chimney remains and is a significant landmark on the Cockatoo Island skyline.

Privatisation

Immediately after the war the dockyard was kept busy reconverting naval ships for merchant service. However, following a 1926 High Court judgment, which precluded the dockyard from accepting work other than from the government, and the sale of the Commonwealth Line of Steamers, shipbuilding and dock work declined. The building of steel ships in Australia had almost ceased and the dockyard had no orders for the construction of new ships. Not surprisingly Cockatoo struggled financially.

Figure 17: Photograph of interior of Machine Shop (Building 141) (1914)

The transfer of Cockatoo Island to the Commonwealth Government in 1913 resulted in the installation of many additional modern machine tools and the yard’s expansion to satisfy the needs of a naval dockyard. This photograph was taken inside the Machine Shop (Building 141) c.1914. At this time the yard still had chronic power supply problems resulting from the poor condition of its obsolete generators.

Figure 18: Photograph of publication: “Cockatoo Docks Sydney 1939-1945 War Record”

Cockatoo Island Dockyard was justifiably proud of the contribution it made to the Allied war effort in the South Pacific and produced this booklet to record its achievements. During WW II it was the allies’ main ship repair facility in the South West Pacific and 3200 men were employed building and repairing ships, many of which had been damaged in the decisive naval battles of 1942.

As a consequence the Commonwealth Government decided to lease the island to a private consortium known as Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Co. Ltd. The new managers made many changes to the running of the dockyard but there was little change to the fabric of the island other than the extension of the Sutherland Dock in 1928 and some further reclamation.

World War II

Following the outbreak of WW II Cockatoo Island became a hive of activity once again as merchant ships and luxury liners were converted to troop transports, stores and naval ships. Two hundred and fifty ships, many of which had been damaged as a result of action including Kamikaze attacks, were converted or repaired at Cockatoo during the war years. The dockyard also played an important role in meeting the needs of the merchant shipbuilding program.

To facilitate this work many new buildings and infrastructure were built. Several new wharves were built as well as a second slipway on the northern apron. New workshops were constructed on the Southern Apron including the Dock Master’s Office (Building 78) and the Painters’ and Dockers’ Workshop (Building 79). Other more substantial buildings that were built to meet the war effort included the Turbine Shop and Brass Foundry (Building 150).

The dockyard was of great strategic importance to the Allied war effort and action was taken to protect it from enemy attack. Air raid shelters were built at various locations around the island. Some were purpose built, while others involved the radical modification and reinforcement of several of the convict-built buildings. A search light tower, tunnel and first aid station were also constructed. All of these structures remain on the island as an unedited record of the turbulent war years.

Peacetime

Shipbuilding continued apace after the war and increased in 1950’s following a decision by the Commonwealth Government to build a number of anti-submarine frigates.

During this phase most of the old structures were maintained and used. These included the original Fitzroy Dock workshop and the Prisoners’ Barracks. However, the inadequacies of the dockyard, including its size, aging facilities and the difficulty and expense incurred in transporting goods to and from the mainland were becoming more of a problem. By the early 1960’s the dockyard’s work was declining and this was a trend from which it was never to recover.

The Last Ships

In 1979 Vickers Cockatoo was awarded the contract to build the fleet replenishment ship HMAS Success. The Success was the largest naval ship to be built in Australia and the last ship to be built at Cockatoo. The Success was launched in 1984 and although the submarine-refitting program for the “Oberon” class submarines continued for a few more years, the 1991 refit of HMAS Orion marked the end of the dockyard’s working life.

For the final 25 years of its operations the maintenance and refit of RAN submarines was the mainstay of the dockyard. Several new buildings were constructed during this period specifically for the refitting of the ‘Oberon’ class submarines. These included the Weapons Workshop and Electronic Building (Building 93) on the south eastern apron and the large crane on the bolt wharf.

Closure

Following the refit of the Orion the workforce was disbanded; equipment, machinery and furniture were sold at auction and many of the buildings and wharves were demolished. However, notwithstanding this, a substantial array of structures and artefacts representing all phases of the island’s life remain.

Figure 19: USS New Orleans

Fifteen United States Navy ships were repaired at Cockatoo Island during WW II. Included among them was the USS New Orleans, which was torpedoed in the Battle of Lunga Point, losing 150 foot of its bow in the ensuing explosion. The New Orleans steamed backwards from the Solomon Islands to Cockatoo where a temporary bow was fitted. This allowed the ship to return to the US for reconstruction.

Figure 20: Dockyard apprentices assembled at the Fitzroy Dock (1947)

Cockatoo Island was one of the earliest establishments in Australia to set up special schools for the training of apprentices, and this co-ordinated training was a milestone in industrial history. Apprentices were indentured to nearly all trades that were carried out on the island, with their number occasionally approaching half the total number of tradesmen employed.

Figure 21: Drawing Office (Building 10)

Cockatoo Island fostered a well-qualified technical team that had the capacity to undertake a wide range of design work. This was particularly the case at the end of WW II when this photograph of the Drawing Office (Building 10) was taken.

Many people in the community called for the island’s convict and maritime industrial heritage to be conserved. A community group called the Friends of Cockatoo Island was formed to lobby for the island to be retained in public ownership and for the island’s cultural heritage to be conserved. In 2001 the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust was established and the island transferred to the Harbour Trust to ensure its long-term conservation and rehabilitation.

Figure 22: Workers involved in refit of the Oberon Class submarines

To facilitate the refit of the Oberon Class submarines, $4.7 million was allocated for the construction of new facilities. These included 2 substantial buildings – one adjacent to the Bolt Shop Wharf (since demolished) and the Weapons and Electronic Workshops (Buildings 92 & 93) on the southern side of the Fitzroy Dock. These buildings were a far cry from the grime of the traditional workshops. They were fitted with the most modern equipment and had to achieve the highest standards of cleanliness. This photograph shows workers in the ‘clean room’ where the high-pressure air and telemotor components of submarines were refitted. The hats and uniforms illustrate the sensitivity of the instruments and the need to regulate the environment.

A New Life

After the closure of the island in 1991, and a period of slow deterioration and vandalism, Cockatoo Island was vested in the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust in 2001. A journey of rehabilitation had begun. With the financial assistance of the Australian Government including the Department of Defence, a process of renewal and repair of services, decontamination, basic maintenance and safety measures commenced. In 2005 all the remedial work was revealed with the Cockatoo Island Music Festival which was a great success. Since then, the island has been opened to the public and has become a sought after venue for events, functions, art exhibitions and filming, with the Sydney Biennale being a major drawcard for visitors. A regular public ferry service provides transport to Cockatoo Island for workers and visitors. Short stay accommodation is available in renovated houses and a camping ground has been established on the landscaped northern apron. School programs attract many groups and tours, self guided, audio or guided cater for a growing number of visitors.

Extensive conservation work has been carried out to many buildings and a stonework conservation program has commenced for the World Heritage listed convict buildings. An archaeological research program has revealed additional convict remains, in particular two isolation cells and storage areas hidden under the Cookhouse of the convict barracks.

6 ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT

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1. Analysis and Assessment

Heritage Listings

World Heritage List

On 31 July 2010, “Australian Convict Sites” serial property of 11 sites was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List, (reference 1306). The sites are:

§Old Government House and Domain (Parramatta),

§Hyde Park Barracks (Sydney)

§Cockatoo Island Convict Site (Sydney)

§Old Great North Road (near Wiseman’s Ferry)

§Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area (Norfolk Island)

§Port Arthur Historic Site (Port Arthur)

§Cascades Female Factory (Hobart)

§Darlington Probation Station (Maria Island)

§Coal Mines Historic Site (Norfolk Bay)

§Brickendon-Woolmers Estates (near Longford)

§Fremantle Prison (Western Australia)

The listing of the eleven complementary sites constitutes an outstanding and large-scale example of the forced migration of convicts, who were condemned to transportation to the distant colonies of the British Empire. The various sites illustrate the different types of convict settlement used to serve colonial development projects, including Fitzroy Dock and the Engineers’ and Blacksmiths’ Workshop on Cockatoo Island. The listing specifically relates to the following World Heritage criteria;

Criterion (iv): The Australian convict sites constitute an outstanding example of the way in which conventional forced labour and national prison systems were transformed, in major European nations in the 18th and 19th centuries, into a system of deportation and forced labour forming part of the British Empire's vast colonial project. They illustrate the variety of the creation of penal colonies to serve the many material needs created by the development of a new territory. They bear witness to a penitentiary system which had many objectives, ranging from severe punishment used as a deterrent to forced labour for men, women and children, and the rehabilitation of the convicts through labour and discipline.

Criterion (vi): The transportation of criminals, delinquents, and political prisoners to colonial lands by the great nation states between the 18th and 20th centuries is an important aspect of human history, especially with regard to its penal, political and colonial dimensions. The Australian convict settlements provide a particularly complete example of this history and the associated symbolic values derived from discussions in modern and contemporary European society. They illustrate an active phase in the occupation of colonial lands to the detriment of the Aboriginal peoples, and the process of creating a colonial population of European origin through the dialectic of punishment and transportation followed by forced labour and social rehabilitation to the eventual social integration of convicts as settlers.

Full text of the above listings can be found at Appendix 8.

National Heritage List

Cockatoo Island is listed as Historic Place No.105928 on the National Heritage List (Place File No. 1/12/022/0089). Full text of the above listings can be found at Appendix 9.

Commonwealth Heritage List

Cockatoo Island Industrial Conservation Area is listed as Historic Place No.105262 on the Commonwealth Heritage List (Place File No. 1/12/022/0089).

The following individual items and precincts on the island are also identified on the Commonwealth Heritage List:

§The Barracks Block, Historic Place No.105257, Place File No. 1/12/022/0085

§Prison Barracks Precinct, Historic Place No. 105256, Place File No. 1/12/022/0085

§Mess Hall (former), Historic Place No. 105259, Place File No. 1/12/022/0085

§Military Guard Room, Historic Place No. 105258, Place File No. 1/12/022/0085

§Underground Grain Silos, Historic Place No. 105264, Place File No. 1/12/022/0092

§Biloela Group, Historic Place No. 105263, Place File No. 1/12/022/0090

§Fitzroy Dock, Historic Place No.105261, Place File No. 1/12/022/0088

§Sutherland Dock, Historic Place No. 105260, Place File No. 1/12/022/0087 and;

§Powerhouse/ Pump house, Historic Place No, 105265, Place File No. 1/12/022/0086

Full text of the above listings can be found at Appendix 10.

Cockatoo Island Industrial Conservation Area and the above items are also listed on the Register of the National Estate and the National Trust of Australia Register of Classified Places.

Conservation Management Plans

There are two main Conservation Management Plans (CMPs) for all of Cockatoo Island, one covering the Convict Era, the other the Dockyard Era. The CMP for Convict Era Buildings and Remains was completed by the NSW Government Architect’s Office (GAO) in 2009, while the CMP for the Cockatoo Island Dockyard was completed by consultants Godden Mackay Logan (GML) in 2007. The 2007 CMP by GML also includes a detailed Archaeological Management Plan.

In addition, there are also specific CMPs for the following individual buildings:

• Building 58 (Powerhouse) - Godden Mackay Logan 2005
• Buildings 6, 12 and 13 - Conybeare Morrison Pty Ltd 2004
• Buildings 10, 21, 23, and 24 - Robertson and Hindmarsh 2003

The methodology used in the CMPs to assess significance generally follows the format set out in James Semple Kerr’s The Conservation Plan. The CMPs assessed the cultural significance of the island by examining the way in which its extant fabric demonstrates its function, associations and aesthetic qualities.

The World, National and Commonwealth Heritage values included in this plan were taken from the listing of the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property, National Heritage List and Commonwealth Heritage List. However, summary statements of significance from the CMPs have also been included and these assist in describing the then-potential World, National and Commonwealth Heritage values of Cockatoo Island.

Archaeological Assessments

Cockatoo Island includes substantial standing and sub-surface archaeological features.

In 2007, GAO and GML conducted an archaeological assessment of Cockatoo Island, which resulted in the production of the archaeological potential maps for the Convict Era remains (at Appendix 3) and the Dockyard era (Appendix 4), to guide future work on Cockatoo Island.

The assessment found that evidence of many additional buildings and features from the convict and institutional era are likely to be present as an archaeological resource below the current ground level. The natural rock of the island is often very close to the surface, thus evidence of features that have been cut down into the rock, like trenches, wells and pits, are likely to survive.

The intensity of activities on the island (construction, quarrying, and land reclamation) are most likely to have destroyed all evidence of the pre-European environment.

The archaeological assessment summarises the potential and known key dockyard and industrial archaeological resources on Cockatoo Island and identifies their archaeological and heritage significance. The assessment determined that subsurface archaeological features and deposits relating to the dockyard and industrial uses may be present throughout Cockatoo Island, although most of the island has been subject to disturbance.

In those areas identified as having archaeological potential, a monitoring program will be carried out during any sub surface exposure or removal of superficial layers. A qualified archaeologist will undertake this monitoring.

Cultural Landscape

The GML and GAO CMPs describe Cockatoo Island’s cultural landscape as follows:

The cultural landscape of Cockatoo Island is a continuing landscape, and many of the earlier convict-built components of the site have vanished to make way for additional dockyard facilities. The industrial character of the cultural landscape of the island has developed from the interaction of maritime and prison activity and is articulated by man made cliffs, stone walls and steps, docks, cranes, slipways and built forms. The changing pattern of use of the island was to facilitate industrial production, as technology changed and as demand increased. The cessation of shipbuilding activities on the island and the clearing of buildings that occurred resulted in substantial evidence of the cultural landscape being removed, particularly to the aprons. Most of the significant vegetation on the island comprises planted ornamentals on the central sandstone area, although there are also elements such as the banks of ferns growing on the sandstone cutting beside the Turbine Hall.

The CMPs recommend that the cultural landscape be conserved by:

• retaining remnant natural topography, indigenous vegetation and fauna;
• retaining remnant evidence of gardens and significant tree plantings, which demonstrate different cultural expectations and aspirations in different periods and social contexts;
• Limiting vehicles on the island; and
• Retaining major land form modifications, including reclaimed foreshore areas, cuttings, walls, excavated docks, tunnels and roadways which express significant developments and events on the island.

These findings are consistent with the 2001 survey of cultural plantings on the island, undertaken by the Harbour Trust landscape architect, Craig Burton. This survey identified plantings of cultural significance and areas for further investigation and these are illustrated in Appendix 2.

Natural Values

In 2003 GIS Environmental Consultants were engaged to undertake a flora and fauna study of Cockatoo Island. See Figure 24-Environmental Considerations.

The study found that the:

• Original flora and fauna on Cockatoo Island would have been an unusual mixture of species due to an absence of fire, isolation caused by the surrounding seawater, the lack of reliable source of fresh water and the strong marine influence;
• Island would never have had a high diversity of species;
• Island is highly developed and does not provide much quality habitat for native fauna;
• Grassed areas on the lower levels provide foraging habitat for lapwing plovers, herons and starlings, but there is little cover for bush birds;
• Hard covered surfaces on the south and west sides of the island provide basking areas for skinks;
• Grey-headed Flying foxes, listed as a Vulnerable Species, forage on Port Jackson Figs on the northern slope. These figs are also a potential food source for the Superb Fruit-Dove;
• Vacant buildings provide shelter for birds, skinks and rats;
• Vegetative layers support a range of invertebrate prey suitable for insectivorous birds, mammals, and reptiles;
• Island is considered to be ideal habitat for several species of insectivorous microbats, many of which are identified as threatened species under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1999. However, no microbats were detected;
• Pilings and piers extending from the south side of the island provide roosting habitat for seabirds such as Pied Cormorant, Little Pied Cormorant and Little Black Cormorant; and
• Rocky foreshore provides potential habitat for Water rats and a wide variety of marine animals and plants. In particular, the foreshore on the northern side of the island provides habitat for a colony of Silver Gulls.

The report also identified:

• Two tree species listed as Vulnerable in the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999. These are the Narrow-leaved Black Peppermint (Eucalyptus nicholii) and the Magenta Lilly Pilly (Syzygium paniculatum). Both of these trees were planted as ornamental specimens; and
• Two uncommon species of fern allies, the Scrambling Club moss (Lycopodium cernuum) and the Skeleton Fork Fern (Psilotum nudum). The Skeleton Fork Fern appears in small patches along the cliff face between the Parramatta Wharf and the Turbine Work Shop (Building 150) and the Scrambling Club moss occurs near the entrance to Tunnel No 3.

The report recommended that:

• The large Port Jackson figs should be protected to provide foraging habitat for the vulnerable Grey-headed Flying Fox and the Superb Fruit-Dove;

§The Narrow-leaved Peppermint and the Magenta Lilly Pilly should be protected;

§The fern allies should be protected by ensuring spraying or clearing of plants on the cliff edge does not occur;

§The fern allies be identified with appropriate interpretive signage;

§Bush regeneration should be carried out on the weedy areas on the sides and top of the plateau;

§The maintenance of gardens should ensure that exotic species are not allowed to invade the regenerated areas;

§A vegetation management plan may be appropriate to ensure suitable species are planted in the correct locations, to ensure weeds are controlled and bushland areas will becomes self sustaining;

§Fire should not be used as a bush regeneration technique;

• A nesting area at the western corner of the Northern apron should be dedicated for a limited population of Silver Gulls to ensure the viability of the Silver Gull colony; and
• Insect killing lights (bug zappers) should not be used on the island so that a food supply for bat species is maintained.

Cockatoo Island is one of many sites in Sydney Harbour that serves as a nesting point for Silver Gulls. The population of gulls on the island are aggressive and in some areas their excrement – which is acidic – is causing damage to the building fabric. The Harbour Trust will investigate ways of controlling the population of gulls and will liaise with other relevant stakeholders in relation to this.

Site Contamination

The Island has undergone an extensive program of remediation, however understanding the history of ship building and engineering on Cockatoo Island is key to appreciating the historical environmental condition of the island. Contamination on the island has resulted from the previous land filling and waste disposal practices as well as the spillage and release of chemicals and materials. Consequently, various types of contaminants have been reported in soils, surface-water, groundwater and near shore sediments. Hazardous materials were also associated with the various buildings and structures, some pavements and other building surfaces.

Extensive assessment of contamination on Cockatoo Island was carried out following the closure of the Dockyard in 1991. The Cockatoo Island Environmental Characterisation report, prepared by the Cockatoo Island Rehabilitation Consortium (CIRC) provides a useful review of contamination on the island at that time.

Since assuming ownership of the island, the Harbour Trust has commissioned specialist consultants to conduct an independent environmental audit and prepare a draft Site Audit Report (SAR) for Cockatoo Island. Environmental studies, Remediation Action Plans and Validation Reports have also been prepared for parts of the site. A remediation and environmental management strategy has also been developed, which was based on the previous assessment reports and the recommendations provided by the audit. The remediation strategy and other environmental requirements are to be documented in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the island. A summary of this strategy is provided in the ‘Outcomes’ section of this Plan. Details of the extensive building decontamination, remediation, assessment and monitoring projects completed by the Harbour Trust on Cockatoo Island are discussed later in this Plan.

The following provides a summary of site conditions at the time of the closure of the Dockyard.

Soils and fill

In its original state, Cockatoo Island was a heavily timbered knoll occupying approximately 13 hectares. Filling occurred from the early development of the site, finally increasing the island’s area to the current 17.9 hectares. From the establishment of the penal settlement, cut fill and trade wastes were disposed by addition to the Island’s foreshores. After the Fitzroy Dock was completed in 1857, the industrial component of the fill is likely to have increased. From 1910 industrial trade wastes were transported out to sea for disposal, however the disposal of building rubble and other solid wastes continued along the shorelines. By 1917, all but the north-western shoreline was completed to the present extent.

Barge disposal at sea ceased in 1940 and trade wastes were added to the rubble used for shoreline advancement in the northwest part of the Island until 1960. As a result, much of the fill used on Cockatoo Island included sandstone, demolition rubble, slag, ash, coke, scrap metal, fibro cement and general rubbish. Contamination in these materials was predominantly heavy metals, Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and asbestos. Historical evidence also suggested that process wastes were routinely disposed in this area. These wastes included electroplating sludge (heavy metals, cyanides) and anti-foul wastes (mainly Tributyltin - TBT).

Studies showed that fill in other areas of the island had a higher component of natural materials, being mainly sandstone, marine sands and silt with some building rubble and process wastes. However, in addition to filling, there were other sources of contamination (or laydown mechanisms) at Cockatoo Island. A draft report prepared by Sinclair Knight Merz in 2003 listed the main types:

§Localised dumping and/or spillage of wastes associated with former operations, examples include:

oThe former pipe laundry (Buildings 32 and 33) area, located at the north eastern corner of the site where chlorinated solvents were used and stored;

oGrit blast wastes containing heavy metals that remain on the surface of the southern apron and in the power house/ coal bunker area;

§Leakage of chemicals or fuels from above and below ground storage tanks, pits and associated pipe work;

§Atmospheric fallout from operations that may have impacted the exposed near-surface soils across the site, such as from the boiler house chimney, incinerator, furnace stacks etc. Atmospheric fallout is likely to have been responsible for contamination of the grassed areas of the plateau, where there were no recorded industrial operations;

§Leakage, outflows and accumulation of contaminated sediments and wastes in the sewerage and stormwater systems, including disused septic tanks;

§Discharge to soils from hazardous building materials, including lead based paints, asbestos sheeting and lagging, PCB electrical fittings and coal tar based bitumen pavements;

§Pesticide/ herbicide treatments for control of rodents and weeds;

§Contamination associated with special processes, such as the X-Ray laboratory, weapons stores etc, and;

§Migration of contaminants into the Docks and sediments in surrounding waterways.

The main contaminants of concern in soils and fill were considered to be metals and metalloids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organotin compounds and asbestos. However, other contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons, cyanides, solvent chemicals or polychlorinated bi-phenyl compounds were also identified as potentially occurring in localised areas.

Figure 24: Environmental Considerations

In 2004 the Harbour Trust commissioned HLA Envirosciences to conduct the following soil assessments to address information deficiencies identified by the auditor:

§Supplementary soil assessment of the plateau area, and

§An asbestos in soils survey covering the island

The supplementary assessment of the plateau area was carried out so that remediation requirements could be defined, particularly with respect to PAHs and depth of contamination. This assessment confirmed that metals (mainly lead) and PAHs exceeded the relevant health-based criteria for the uses proposed for this part of Cockatoo Island, and therefore remediation would be required.

The asbestos in soils survey was carried out to map the distribution of asbestos based materials within surface soils, which had not been adequately addressed in previous assessments. Asbestos materials were observed and detected in various areas, mainly on the Northern Apron, Southern Apron and Plateau. All visible bonded asbestos fragments identified by this assessment were removed by hand in February 2005, although some individual fibres remained. Remaining asbestos fibres were not considered to present a significant risk to users of the site as long as the soils in these areas are stable and remain undisturbed. This has been achieved in the short term in the plateau area by laying down temporary clean surface cover in priority areas consisting of topsoil/ grass or gravel. Long-term requirements will need to be considered in the remediation of each area.

Results from assessments showed that soils in all areas of Cockatoo Island contained contamination exceeding one or more of the health-based criteria applicable for the land uses being considered by the Harbour Trust, and therefore remediation would be required.

Stormwater and Sewerage System

During Dockyard operations, contaminated wastes were either disposed of or washed into the stormwater and sewerage systems. These systems were in poor condition, with sludge and grit remaining in pits, lines and tanks. Assessment of wastes in these systems showed elevated levels of heavy metals and PAHs, however other contaminants may also have been present. This represented a potential source of ground contamination, which could have become mobile under high flow conditions and migrated into the surrounding aquatic environment.

During Dockyard operations, stormwater either flowed directly to the harbour, or via the remaining system of pits and pipes. Some ponding and ground infiltration may still occur, particularly in areas where buildings have been demolished and ground slabs remain. The island’s sewerage system, which is no longer in use, was comprised of:

§Sewerage treatment plant (Building 56), located on the western side of the island adjacent to the Power House and Pumping Station;

§A sewerage transfer station (Building 149); and

§At least 9 septic tanks located around the site.

The Harbour Trust initially installed a small temporary sewage treatment plant to meet the needs of visitors and the workforce engaged for rehabilitation of the island, however as use of the Island increased, this facility was replaced by a macerator, that treats effluents prior to connection with the Sydney Water system near Elkington Park, Balmain.

Surface and Groundwater

A number of surface water and groundwater investigations were undertaken on Cockatoo Island in the 1990s. In 2001, the Harbour Trust also carried out a program of water quality monitoring in harbour waters surrounding the island (PPK, 2001), which found:

5) 1948-92. Numerous warehouses were built during this phase. Many are steel framed with corrugated iron sheeting cladding. A group of red brick warehouses with curved roofscapes were constructed primarily after World War Two. A group of international style buildings at the south-eastern corner of the dockyards forms a distinct group. Among the latter is the former weapons workshop of 1971.

In addition to the standing buildings described above the island contains numerous items of remnant equipment. Significant items include two Bellis and Morcom steam engines, lathes, planing equipment, hydraulic presses, plate bending machinery, boring machines, rivet presses, threading machinery, plate rolls, steam hammers and cutting equipment. The only building which retains its equipment intact is the powerhouse; equipment includes the dewatering system, the air compressors, the hydraulic pumps and the mercury rectifier bank used to convert AC to DC. The dockyard areas include a steam driven rail mounted jib crane of mixed parentage (possibly 1870), electric travelling portal jib cranes and long jib cantilever cranes of the 1920s, electric travelling jib cranes of the 1940s, fixed tower cranes of the 1960s and electric portal jib cranes of the 1970s. The waterfront areas also accommodate wharves, slipways and shipbuilding berths. Among the latter are shipbuilding berths No 1 and No 2, slipways 3 and 4 and the 250 ton patent slipway. Smaller slipways include a boathouse slipway, yacht slip and an unmarked slipway. The cruiser wharf (No 2) of 1914 (demolished 1999) is constructed on timber piles and was used to unload items for the island and for fitting out ships built in the yards. Wharf No 3 the Bolt Wharf is a concrete wharf erected in the post war period 1945-60. Destroyer Wharf (demolished 1999) is based on an old stone lined wharf of 1891 below the present timber wharf of c 1914. The nearby Ruby Wharf and Steps is a timber longshore wharf on piles which includes a set of timber steps to water level; the original Ruby steps below the present structure date to c 1853. Other wharves and jetties include Camber Wharf, Timber Wharf, Patrol Boat Wharf, Sutherland Wharf, Old Plate Wharf, Patrol Boat Jetty and New Plate Wharf. Other elements associated with the transport of goods and materials include remnant trolley tracks, tunnels, roads (the Burma Road) and stores tunnels. Cockatoo Island has substantial standing and sub-surface archaeological features associated with the above. Some areas of the island are likely to contain stratified material while other areas of the foreshore may contain buried early structures such as wharves and jetties.

History: Not Available

Condition and Integrity:

All but the most significant items of plant and machinery were sold in 1991 and all industrial buildings not of exceptional significance were sold in 1992. The demolition removed some forty buildings from the island, mostly in poor condition. These were mainly warehouse type buildings with pitched roofs, clad in steel. Other demolished structures included ancillary and small industrial buildings. Several other structures are no longer extant including Fitzroy Wharf, Coal Wharf and a number of slipways.

Location:

About 18ha, in Sydney Harbour, between Birchgrove Point and Woolwich Point, comprising the whole of the Island to low water.

Bibliography:

Cockatoo Island, R.C. Parker, Thomas Nelson (Aust) 1977.

Cockatoo Island, D.W. Muir and K.A.V. Wheeler, (Thesis) Uni of Sydney 1974.

Kerr, J.S. Cockatoo Island penal and institutional remains. National Trust (NSW), 1984.

Godden Mackay, Cockatoo Island CMP Volume 1, May 1997 for Defence.

Balint E, The Inventive Mind of Gother Kerr Mann, in Heritage Australia Winter 1991, 10(2):pp12-17

Barracks Block, Cockatoo Island, NSW, Australia

Photographs:    None

List:                     Commonwealth Heritage List

Class:                  Historic

Legal Status:     Listed place (22/06/2004)

Place ID:             105257

Place File No:    1/12/022/0085

Summary Statement of Significance:

The barracks block, completed in the early 1840s, is historically highly significant for its association with early convict administration in the Australian colonies. It is also associated with the other phases of Cockatoo Island's history, as an industrial school and as a major shipyard. (Criterion A.4)

The block is part of a group of convict buildings which is the only remaining imperial convict public works complex in NSW, and is one of the most complete groups of convict structures in Australia. As such, it is also important as a rare example of a convict barracks block of the period. (Criteria B.2 and D.2)

The block was designed by Colonel George Barney, who as Commanding Royal Engineer played a notable role in the colony. (Criterion H.1)

Official Values:

Criteria

Values

A Processes

The barracks block, completed in the early 1840s, is historically highly significant for its association with early convict administration in the Australian colonies. It is also associated with the other phases of Cockatoo Island's history, as an industrial school and as a major shipyard.

Attributes

All of the place's fabric, plus its relationship to associated structures.

B Rarity

The block is part of a group of convict buildings which is the only remaining imperial convict public works complex in NSW, and is important as a rare example of a convict barracks block of the period.

Attributes

Its U shaped plan and enclosed courtyard.

D Characteristic values

The block is part of one of the most complete groups of convict structures in Australia and is important as a rare example of a convict barracks block of the period.

Attributes

Its sandstone construction, its U shaped plan with courtyard, associated former hospital wards, cookhouse and mess, and its relationship to other convict period buildings in the complex.

H Significant people

The block was designed by Colonel George Barney, who as Commanding Royal Engineer played a notable role in the colony.

Attributes: Remnant fabric that demonstrates the building's design.

Prison Barracks Precinct, Cockatoo Island, NSW, Australia

Photographs:    None

List:                     Commonwealth Heritage List

Class:                  Historic

Legal Status:     Listed place (22/06/2004)

Place ID:             105256

Place File No:    1/12/022/0085

Summary Statement of Significance:

Dating from c.1839-57, the barracks precinct is historically highly significant for its direct association with convict administration in the Australian colonies. It is also associated with the other phases of Cockatoo Island's history, as an industrial school and as a major government shipyard. (Criterion A.4)

The precinct, together with the separately registered Biloela Group, is the only remaining imperially funded convict public works complex in NSW, and is one of the most complete groups of convict structures in Australia. As such, the buildings in the precinct are important as examples of convict structures of the period. (Criteria B.2 and D.2)

Several of the buildings in the precinct were designed by Colonel George Barney, who as Commanding Royal Engineer played a significant engineering role in the colony for a number of years. (Criterion H.1)

Sited high on the island, the precinct has important aesthetic qualities despite later alterations. The buildings' sandstone construction, Georgian styling and the evocative nature of the group as a strong reminder of the convict era all contribute to the place's significance. (Criterion E.1)

Official Values:

Criteria

Values

A Processes

Dating from c.1839-57, the barracks precinct is historically highly significant for its direct association with convict administration in the Australian colonies. It is also associated with the other phases of Cockatoo Island's history, as an industrial school and as a major government shipyard.

Attributes

The barracks complex of prison and hospital wards, cook house and mess shed and its enclosed court; the former Officer's guard room; the former military guard room, kitchen and grassed enclosure; the cottage, former free officer's quarters; and north-west escarpment, including trees, that crown the ridge on the south-west corner of Cockatoo Island.

B Rarity

The precinct, together with the separately registered Biloela Group, is the only remaining imperially funded convict public works complex in NSW, and is one of the most complete groups of convict structures in Australia.

Attributes

The place's historic fabric.

D Characteristic values

The precinct is one of the most complete groups of convict structures in Australia and as such, the buildings in the precinct are important as examples of convict structures of the period.

Attributes

The place's historic fabric and associations.

E Aesthetic characteristics

Sited high on the island, the precinct has important aesthetic qualities despite later alterations. The buildings' sandstone construction, Georgian styling and the evocative nature of the group as a strong reminder of the convict era all contribute to the place's significance.

Attributes

The buildings' prominence on the island, sandstone construction and Georgian styling.

H Significant people

Several of the buildings in the precinct were designed by Colonel George Barney, who as Commanding Royal Engineer played a significant engineering role in the colony for a number of years.

Attributes

The Barrack's Block including the wards, cookhouse and mess, and the Military Guards room including the detached kitchen and toilet.

Mess Hall (former), Cockatoo Island, NSW, Australia

Photographs:    None

List:                     Commonwealth Heritage List

Class:                  Historic

Legal Status:     Listed place (22/06/2004)

Place ID:             105259

Place File No:    1/12/022/0085

Summary Statement of Significance:

The mess hall, completed c.1847-51, is historically highly significant for its association with early convict administration in the Australian colonies. It is also associated with the other phases of Cockatoo Island's history, as an industrial school for females and as a major shipyard. (Criterion A.4)

The building is part of a group of convict buildings which is the only remaining imperial convict public works complex in NSW, and is one of the most complete groups of convict structures in Australia. As such, the mess hall is also an important example of this type of convict structure of the period. (Criteria B.2 and D.2)

The mess hall, with its fine detail and dominating gabled design in Old Colonial/Victorian Georgian style, has architectural significance and makes an important aesthetic contribution to the precinct. (Criteria F.1, D.2 and E.1)

Official Values:

Criteria

Values

A Processes

The mess hall, completed c.1847-51, is historically highly significant for its association with early convict administration in the Australian colonies. It is also associated with the other phases of Cockatoo Island's history, as an industrial school for females and as a major shipyard.

Attributes

All of the fabric of the place.

B Rarity

The building is part of a group of convict buildings which is the only remaining imperial convict public works complex in NSW, and is one of the most complete groups of convict structures in Australia.

Attributes

The building's fabric and finish, and its associations with the rest of the group.

D Characteristic values

The mess hall is also an important example of the Colonial/Victorian Georgian style of convict structure of the period.

Attributes

The fine detail and dominating gable.

E Aesthetic characteristics

The mess hall, with its fine detail and dominating gabled design in Old Colonial/Victorian Georgian style, has architectural significance and makes an important aesthetic contribution to the precinct.

Attributes

The fine detail, dominating gable and Colonial/Victorian Georgian style.

F Technical achievement

The mess hall, with its fine detail and dominating gabled design in Old Colonial/Victorian Georgian style, has architectural significance.

Attributes

Finely detailed sandstone work and dominating gable.

Military Guard Room, Cockatoo Island, NSW, Australia

Photographs:    None

List:                     Commonwealth Heritage List

Class:                  Historic

Legal Status:     Listed place (22/06/2004)

Place ID:             105258

Place File No:    1/12/022/0085

Summary Statement of Significance:

The military guard room (and detached kitchen), completed in 1842, is historically highly significant for its association with early convict administration in the Australian colonies. It is also associated with the other phases of Cockatoo Island's history, as an industrial school for females and as a major shipyard. (Criterion A.4)

The building is part of a group of convict buildings which is the only remaining imperial convict public works complex in NSW, and is one of the most complete groups of convict structures in Australia. As such, the building is also a rare and important example of a guard house of the period, still exhibiting features directly related to its use. (Criteria B.2 and D.2)

The building was designed by Colonel George Barney, who as Commanding Royal Engineer played a notable role in the colony. (Criterion H.1)

Official Values:

Criteria

Values

A Processes

The military guard room (and detached kitchen), completed in 1842, is historically highly significant for its association with early convict administration in the Australian colonies. It is also associated with the other phases of Cockatoo Island's history, as an industrial school for females and as a major shipyard.

Attributes

The historic fabric and form of the structure.

B Rarity

The building is the only remaining imperial convict public works complex in NSW, and is one of the most complete groups of convict structures in Australia. The building is a rare and important example of a guard house of the period, still exhibiting features directly related to its use.

Attributes

All remaining sandstone block work, the stone slab floors, iron wall-rods and hat pegs.

D Characteristic values

The building is part of a group of convict buildings which is the only remaining imperial convict public works complex in NSW, and is one of the most complete groups of convict structures in Australia. As such, the building is also a rare and important example of a guard house of the period, still exhibiting features directly related to its use.

Attributes

The historic fabric, form and layout of the place, and its relationship to other components in the precinct.

H Significant people

The building was designed by Colonel George Barney, who as Commanding Royal Engineer played a notable role in the colony.

Attributes

The building's form.

Underground Grain Silos, Cockatoo Island, NSW, Australia

Photographs:    None

List:                     Commonwealth Heritage List

Class:                  Historic

Legal Status:     Listed place (22/06/2004)

Place ID:             105264

Place File No:    1/12/022/0092

Summary Statement of Significance:

Excavated during 1839-40, the grain silos are historically highly significant for their direct association with the convict era in New South Wales. They are also associated, as water storage facilities, with the other phases of Cockatoo Island's history, when the island was used as an industrial school and as a major government shipyard. Further, the silos reflect aspects of food supply and government administration in the early years of the colony. (Criterion A.4)

The silos on the island are believed to be the only major group of convict-cut rock silos in Australia. Additionally, they are finely excavated and reflect a high degree of stonemasonry skills on the part of their builders. (Criteria B.2 and F.1)

The silos also have significance for their association with Colonel George Barney, who played a notable engineering role in colonial NSW for a number of years. (Criterion H.1)

Official Values:

Criteria

Values

A Processes

Excavated during 1839-40, the grain silos are historically highly significant for their direct association with the convict era in New South Wales. They are also associated, as water storage facilities, with the other phases of Cockatoo Island's history, when the island was used as an industrial school and as a major government shipyard. Further, the silos reflect aspects of food supply and government administration in the early years of the colony.

Attributes

All of the fabric above and below ground associated with the silos.

B Rarity

The silos on the island are believed to be the only major group of convict-cut rock silos in Australia.

Attributes

All of the fabric above and below ground associated with the silos.

F Technical achievement

The silos are finely excavated and reflect a high degree of stonemasonry skills on the part of their builders.

Attributes

All of the fabric above and below ground associated with the silos.

H Significant people

The silos also have significance for their association with Colonel George Barney, who played a notable engineering role in colonial NSW for a number of years.

Attributes

All of the fabric above and below ground associated with the silos, including the partially demolished silos.

Biloela Group, Cockatoo Island, NSW, Australia

Photographs:    None

List:                     Commonwealth Heritage List

Class:                  Historic

Legal Status:     Listed place (22/06/2004)

Place ID:             105263

Place File No:    1/12/022/0090

Summary Statement of Significance:

Constructed mainly in the early 1840s, the elements of the Biloela Group are historically highly significant for their direct association with convict administration in the Australian colonies. The group is also associated with Cockatoo Island's role as a major government shipyard. (Criterion A.4)

The group, along with the separately registered prison barracks precinct, is the only remaining imperially funded convict public works complex in NSW. As such, the buildings in the group are important examples of convict structures of the period. The silos on the island are believed to be the only major group of convict-cut rock silos in Australia. Additionally, they are finely excavated and reflect a high degree of stonemasonry skills on the part of their builders. (Criteria B.2, D.2 and F.1)

The group has a close association with Colonel George Barney, the commander of the Royal Engineers, who played a notable engineering role in NSW during the period. (Criterion H.1)

Located on the summit of Cockatoo Island (the largest island in Sydney Harbour), the group has an impressive harbour outlook and is evocative of the convict era. As such, the group with its sandstone forms has significant aesthetic qualities. (Criterion E.1)

Official Values:

Criteria

Values

A Processes

Constructed mainly in the early 1840s, the elements of the Biloela Group are historically highly significant for their direct association with convict administration in the Australian colonies. The group is also associated with Cockatoo Island's role as a major government shipyard.

Attributes

The historic fabric of the following structures: Biloela, the former superintendent's quarters and extensions; the stone cottage to the west of Biloela; the remaining underground silos to south-east of Biloela and the north-east part of the small sandstone cottage south-east of Biloela house.

B Rarity

The group, along with the separately registered prison barracks precinct, is the only remaining imperially funded convict public works complex in NSW. The silos on the island are believed to be the only major group of convict-cut rock silos in Australia.

Attributes

The historic fabric of the following structures: Biloela, the former superintendent's quarters and extensions; the stone cottage to the west of Biloela; the remaining underground silos to south-east of Biloela and the north-east part of the small sandstone cottage south-east of Biloela house.

D Characteristic values

The group, along with the separately registered prison barracks precinct, is the only remaining imperially funded convict public works complex in NSW. As such, the buildings in the group are important examples of convict structures of the period. The silos on the island are believed to be the only major group of convict-cut rock silos in Australia.

Attributes

The historic fabric of the following structures: Biloela, the former superintendent's quarters and extensions; the stone cottage to the west of Biloela; the remaining underground silos to south-east of Biloela and the north-east part of the small sandstone cottage south-east of Biloela house.

E Aesthetic characteristics

Located on the summit of Cockatoo Island (the largest island in Sydney Harbour), the group has an impressive harbour outlook and is evocative of the convict era. As such, the group with its sandstone forms has significant aesthetic qualities.

Attributes

The character and form of the above-ground buildings, and their location on the island.

F Technical achievement

The silos are finely excavated and reflect a high degree of stonemasonry skills on the part of their builders.

Attributes

All of the silos' stonework, including their excavation, neck and mouth.

H Significant people

The group has a close association with Colonel George Barney, the commander of the Royal Engineers, who played a notable engineering role in NSW during the period.

Attributes

Biloela House, Clerk of Petty Sessions cottage and the silos, all of which were designed by Barney.

Fitzroy Dock, Cockatoo Island, NSW, Australia

Photographs:    None

List:                     Commonwealth Heritage List

Class:                  Historic

Legal Status:     Listed place (22/06/2004)

Place ID:             105261

Place File No:    1/12/022/0088

Summary Statement of Significance:

Fitzroy Dock, completed in 1857, is the oldest surviving dry dock in Australia and has direct associations with the convict era in Sydney, the state's maritime history, Australia's naval relationship with its allies (Britain particularly during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries) and Australia's naval development, especially during the First and Second World Wars. It is one of the nation's most important former graving docks and has great historical significance. (Criterion A.4)

The dock was the earliest dry dock commenced in Australia, was the largest engineering project completed in Australia to that time and was large by world standards. It therefore has considerable technological significance and also reflects good design and construction qualities. (Criterion F.1)

Fitzroy Dock is important as an example of a nineteenth century harbour facility of this type. (Criterion D.2)

The dock is one of the largest convict-era public works surviving in Sydney. (Criterion B.2)

Fitzroy Dock is a major element of Cockatoo Island's built landscape, a key foreshore element on the island, and, contributing strongly to the island's maritime and convict associations and atmosphere, it has considerable aesthetic value. (Criterion E.1)

Official Values:

Criteria

Values

A Processes

Fitzroy Dock, completed in 1857, is the oldest surviving dry dock in Australia and has direct associations with the convict era in Sydney, the state's maritime history, Australia's naval relationship with its allies (Britain particularly during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries) and Australia's naval development, especially during the First and Second World Wars. It is one of the nation's most important former graving docks and has great historical significance.

Attributes

The excavation, evidence of the dock's sequential enlargement, and all remaining fabric associated with the dock's operation.

B Rarity

The dock is one of the largest convict-era public works surviving in Sydney.

Attributes

Evidence of the dock's initial dimensions, and any evidence of its construction technique.

D Characteristic values

Fitzroy Dock is important as an example of a nineteenth century harbour facility of this type.

Attributes:

The excavation and any fabric remaining from its nineteenth century use.

E Aesthetic characteristics

Fitzroy Dock is a major element of Cockatoo Island's built landscape, a key foreshore element on the island, and, contributing strongly to the island's maritime and convict associations and atmosphere, it has considerable aesthetic value.

Attributes:

The form, fabric and setting of the dock, including scale, texture and massing.

F Technical achievement

The dock was the earliest dry dock commenced in Australia, was the largest engineering project completed in Australia to that time and was large by world standards. It therefore has considerable technological significance and also reflects good design and construction qualities.

Attributes

The dock's dimensions and all associated fabric.

Sutherland Dock, Cockatoo Island, NSW, Australia

Photographs:    None

List:                     Commonwealth Heritage List

Class:                  Historic

Legal Status:     Listed place (22/06/2004)

Place ID:             105260

Place File No:    1/12/022/0087

Summary Statement of Significance:

Sutherland Dock, completed in 1890, has a direct and lengthy association with NSW's maritime history, Australia's naval relationship with its allies, and Australia's naval development, particularly during the First and Second World Wars. It is one of the nation's most important former graving docks and has great historical significance. (Criterion A.4)

At the time of its opening, Sutherland was said to be the biggest dry dock in the world. It was one of Australia's greatest engineering projects (and remained the nation's largest dry dock until 1945), and therefore has considerable technological significance. It also reflects good design and construction qualities. Further, the original caisson and its distinctive mechanism are still extant. (Criterion F.1)

Sutherland Dock is important as an example of a nineteenth century harbour facility of this type. (Criterion D.2)

The enlargement of the dock over time reflects the development in warship construction, and ship-building more generally, during the early twentieth century. (Criterion B.2)

Sutherland Dock is a major element of Cockatoo Island's built landscape, a key foreshore element on the island, and, contributing strongly to the island's maritime associations and atmosphere, it has considerable aesthetic value. (Criterion E.1)

Official Values:

Criteria

Values

A Processes

Sutherland Dock, completed in 1890, has a direct and lengthy association with NSW's maritime history, Australia's naval relationship with its allies, and Australia's naval development, particularly during the First and Second World Wars. It is one of the nation's most important former graving docks and has great historical significance.

Attributes

All the fabric of the dock including the dock excavation, any evidence of sequential extension and further excavation, evidence of use including, but not limited to, dock gates, travelling cranes and tracks.

B Rarity

The enlargement of the dock over time reflects the development in warship construction, and ship-building more generally, during the early twentieth century.

Attributes

Any evidence of the dock's enlargement.

D Characteristic values

Sutherland Dock is important as an example of a nineteenth century harbour facility of this type.

Attributes

The initial excavation and the dock gates.

E Aesthetic characteristics

Sutherland Dock is a major element of Cockatoo Island's built landscape, a key foreshore element on the island, and, contributing strongly to the island's maritime associations and atmosphere, it has considerable aesthetic value.

Attributes

All remaining evidence of the dock including caisson, technical equipment and sandstone work.

F Technical achievement

At the time of its opening, Sutherland was said to be the biggest dry dock in the world. It was one of Australia's greatest engineering projects (and remained the nation's largest dry dock until 1945), and therefore has considerable technological significance. It also reflects good design and construction qualities. Further, the original caisson and its distinctive mechanism are still extant.

Attributes

Evidence of the dock's original dimensions, the caisson (gates) and mechanism and any other evidence remaining from its initial construction phase.

Power House / Pump House, Cockatoo Island, NSW, Australia

Photographs:    None

List:                     Commonwealth Heritage List

Class:                  Historic

Legal Status:     Listed place (22/06/2004)

Place ID:             105265

Place File No:    1/12/022/0086

Summary Statement of Significance:

The powerhouse is historically significant for its role in providing all of the island's electrical power from the time of its construction in 1918. The powerhouse thus has a direct association with the operation of what was a major Australian naval dockyard, including during both world wars. (Criterion A.4)

Further, the powerhouse contains the most extensive and rare collection of early Australian electrical, hydraulic power and pumping equipment in the country. Throughout its period of operation, the building was the largest DC generating plant in Australia. (Criterion B.2)

With its distinctive round-arched design, the powerhouse is a good example of Federation Romanesque style. (Criterion D.2)

The chimney is a particularly finely constructed brick structure, being one of the finest such stacks surviving in Sydney. (Criterion F.1)

A landmark of Sydney Harbour, the chimney possesses significant aesthetic values. (Criterion E.1)

Official Values:

Criteria

Values

A Processes

The powerhouse is historically significant for its role in providing all of the island's electrical power from the time of its construction in 1918. The powerhouse thus has a direct association with the operation of what was a major Australian naval dockyard, including during both world wars.

Attributes

The building, the tower and all of its internal equipment.

B Rarity

The powerhouse contains the most extensive and rare collection of early Australian electrical, hydraulic power and pumping equipment in the country. Throughout its period of operation, the building was the largest DC generating plant in Australia.

Attributes

The early Australian electrical equipment, hydraulic power and pumping equipment.

D Characteristic values

With its distinctive round-arched design, the powerhouse is a good example of Federation Romanesque style.

Attributes

All of the buildings fabric and detailing, including round arched design, brickwork, capitals, string courses, sills and cornices.

E Aesthetic characteristics

A landmark of Sydney Harbour, the chimney possesses significant aesthetic values.

Attributes

The chimney's size, brickwork construction, detailing and visibility.

F Technical achievement

The chimney is a particularly finely constructed brick structure, being one of the finest such stacks surviving in Sydney.

Attributes

All of the chimney's fabric.