Cockatoo Island

COCKATOO ISLAND

Hello world!

So far we've taken you to wide array of locations spanning the beautiful Blue Mountains out to the west, right over to Bondi and the Eastern Suburbs; So today let's jump right into the middle of it and explore a little gem right in the heart of Sydney Harbour - Cockatoo Island!

A key piece in Australia's convict history, Cockatoo Island was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. The site of one of Australia's biggest shipyards between 1857 and 1991, the site has seen quite a variety of usage dating back to the 1800's:

• Between 1839 and 1869 it operated as a convict penal establishment, most commonly as place of secondary punishment for convicts in the colonies who had reoffended. 
• These prisoners were employed to construct their barracks as well as rock-cut silos to be used for storing the colony's grain supply - by 1842, approx 140 tonnes of grain were held on the island (140,000 kg).
• Shipbuilding began in 1870. in 1913 the island was transferred to the Commonwealth Gvmt to become the Naval Dockyard of the Royal Australian Navy.
• During WWI the dockyard built, repaired and refitted many ships; At it's peak during this time, approx 4,000 men were employed on the island.

Nowadays, there is just as much variety to be enjoyed on the island! 

Explore the rich history of our beautiful city in the form of both it's convict and naval history - including original sandstone buildings and underground tunnels - either by day or 'haunted history' night tour; Enjoy lunch at one of the two cafes on the island while taking in the view of Sydney Harbour. You might also recognise spots on the island as having been used as sets in movies such as Stryker's laboratory in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2008) and Prisoner-Of-War camp Naoetsu in Angelina Jolie's Unbroken (2013). There are also a number of events and art exhibitions held on the island, currently 'Supersition' art show as part of the 21st Biennale of Sydney - 16 Mar-11 June 2018 from 10am-5pm

A visit to Cockatoo Island is perfect for people of all ages and abilities - it can be as relaxing or active as you'd like and explores a wide variety of interests. To get there, catch the F3 or F8 ferry to the island from Circular Quay or Parramatta.

Keep an eye out for an extra piece of history - the last ship to built on Cockatoo Island, the RAN's HMAS Success, can still be seen in Sydney Harbour today when around her home point at Fleet Base East, Potts Point!

Here's to ADVENTURE,

Louise & The Insiders