Sunset visit to Cockatoo Island

Cockatoo Island Harbour Walks - #6

Let's do a sunset visit to Cockatoo Island

We meet at 5:20pm inside Customs House at Circular Quay and take the 5:43pm ferry from wharf 3 to UNESCO heritage listed Cockatoo Island.

THE HISTORY OF COCKATOO ISLAND

During the 60,000 years prior to European settlement, Cockatoo Island was a meeting place for Sydney’s First Nations Peoples, who know it as Wareamah. From the mid-nineteenth century, it was reshaped for different uses.

The island was the site of a convict gaol from 1839 to 1869 and a major shipbuilding and repair facility from 1857 to 1991, and dock workers supported the Allied powers during both World Wars. Additionally, between 1871 and 1911, the island hosted educational institutions for boys and girls. These included an industrial training school for girls, a reformatory for young women and nautical school ships for boys.

Cockatoo Island has a remarkable history as a shipbuilding and ship repair facility, contributing significantly to Australia’s maritime affairs across 134 years. This celebrated era commenced in 1857 with the completion of Fitzroy Dock – the only surviving example of a dry dock built by convicts.

The island is a fascinating place and features among many great harbour views, lots of heritage objects, tunnels, rusty cranes and machinery, old work sheds and historic landmarks that offer insights into bygone times.

Please wear comfortable walking shoes and maybe bring a flashlight and warm jumper as it can get quite windy on the island. We take the 8:20pm or the 9:15pm last ferry back to Circular Quay.

Don't come along on this walk if you are unwell, have a cough, a scratchy throat and flu like symptoms, are sneezing or have been in contact with a person who has been affected with covid19. We will maintain social distancing guidelines during this walk.

Your health and safety is priority as is minimizing risks to avoid accidents and injuries during this walk. However event hosts assume no responsibility for anyone attending any group event and will not be held responsible for any accident, injury or loss occurring as a result of any group event or in connection with travel to such event, however caused.