Cockatoo Island
The last time I visited Cockatoo Island I managed to rack up 8000 steps. Granted, I did wander back and forth a bit, meandering rather than following a prescribed route. But isn’t that the best way to see a place?
Summary
Cockatoo Island is just a short ferry ride from Circular Quay. You can pick up a map like this one from the visitors centre. The map outlines a suggested walking route, gives a little history and points to the cafes and other facilities on the island.
Cockatoo Island’s unique history and location attracts day trippers and campers, photographers and history buffs year round. As a staging ground for art installations it is also very popular, and as a vantage point for Sydney sunsets and fireworks displays, it’s hard to beat.
History
The Eora people lived in this area for thousands of years, fishing and hunting on Cockatoo Island and using it for ceremonial purposes before Europeans arrived.
The land was transformed from 1839 when Cockatoo Island became part of the greater penal colony of New South Wales.
Convicts sent here lived in pretty dreadful conditions by all accounts and daily performed backbreaking work excavating rock to construct prison buildings. Many remnants of these building survive today and are inscribed on UNESCO and Commonwealth heritage lists.
Among the many convicts sent to the island was horse rustler Frederick Ward, who eventually escaped to become the bushranging ‘Captain Thunderbolt’.
When the convicts were transferred to Darlinghurst Gaol in 1869 the buildings were repurposed for an industrial school and reformatory for girls. Conditions for the girls were not much better than those endured by the convicts though, and reports of inhumane treatment led to the closure of both facilities in 1880.
From the mid 1800’s, the island had also been used for shipbuilding and maintenance and these operations expanded over time. Cockatoo Island became home to the Royal Australian Navy in 1913 and in 1916 HMAS Huon was built here. The island became a major hub for allied shipping repairs during World War Two. Local shipping contracts and repairs kept things busy on the island until the sixties when activity began to slow due to international competition, and by the 1970’s there was a sharp decline in operations. Minimal works continued though the eighties, and in 1991, the dockyard was officially shut down.
Following extensive remediation works, Cockatoo Island was opened to the public in 2007.
The island’s shipping history is evident around every corner and the rusted and rustic machinery along with its spectacular backdrop, make it very popular with photographers.
Art & Culture
Cockatoo Island hosts a variety of cultural events and exhibitions, concerts and even private parties.
From 2008 - 2020 it was one of the main staging posts for Sydney Biennale featuring local and international artists, and it drew a crowd. Sadly, the event has moved away from the island in recent years but hopefully it will be back. The industrial landscape and spacious interiors are the perfect backdrop for large scale installations. .
Camping
While it’s not quite glamping, camping on Cockatoo Island, is not exactly roughing it either. For a start, the hard work is done for you; tents are set up and everything you need is nearby. Depending on which package you choose, your bedding will either be a mat or a mattress with optional extras including everything from torches to toiletries. Toilets are there too, along with hot showers, barbecues, cooking facilities and even a small cinema.
The camping experience is perfect for families, with some tents sleeping up to four. We camped here some years ago as a family and the kids had a great time exploring the tunnels, dockyard and ruins and eating and sleeping under the stars.
If camping isn’t your thing, other accommodation options include small apartments and historic houses that sleep up to eight guests. The apartments and houses are located up the hill near the convict precinct and enjoy sweeping views over the island and harbour.
Eating and drinking
Cockatoo Island is a great pace to spread out the picnic blanket and barbecues are available for day-trippers. But there are other options if you’d rather someone else do the cooking.
The Marina Café and Bar and Cockatoo Overboard are located on opposite sides of the island, one with a view over the shipping yards, the other out to the bridge and city. Each has a good selection of meals for breakfast and lunch and Marina Overboard also does dinners for campers and late stayers. Both are licensed.
And the cockatoos…?
None. Not a single one. But there used to be. When the island was named, it was inhabited by hordes of the creatures. But they disappeared, along with the trees that housed them, when the island was ‘developed’. There are plenty of seagulls here though, you cant miss them. And if you visit in nesting season be prepared for the ear-piercing screeches. But keep your distance, and you’ll be free to explore this fabulous spot.
