Sydney Harbour Naval Precinct

Item details

Name of item: Sydney Harbour Naval Precinct
Other name/s: Garden Island, Captain Cook Graving Dock, HMAS Penguin, HMAS Kuttabul, Ba-ing-hoe, Derawan, Darrawunn
Type of item: Landscape
Group/Collection: Landscape - Cultural
Category: Defence Base Naval
Location: Lat: -33.8654077528 Long: 151.2265415340
Primary address: Cowper Wharf Roadway, Garden Island, Potts Point, NSW 2011
Parish: Alexandria
County: Cumberland
Local govt. area: Sydney
Local Aboriginal Land Council: La Perouse
Property description
Lot/Volume CodeLot/Volume NumberSection NumberPlan/Folio CodePlan/Folio Number
LOT1 DP1002258
LOT2 DP1002258
LOT3 DP1002258
LOT4 DP1002258
LOT5 DP1002258
LOT1 DP107851
LOT1 DP218946
LOT2 DP218946
LOT3 DP218946
LOT4 DP218946
LOT5 DP218946
LOT2 DP387051
LOT3 DP387051
LOT2 DP555125
LOT1 DP611046
LOT2 DP611046
LOT1 DP776431
LOT3 DP776431
LOT4 DP776431
LOT1 DP811068
LOT2 DP811068
LOT3 DP811068
LOT1 DP827131
LOT10 DP827131
LOT2 DP827131
LOT3 DP827131
LOT4 DP827131
LOT5 DP827131
LOT6 DP827131
LOT7 DP827131
LOT8 DP827131
LOT9 DP827131
All addresses
Street AddressSuburb/townLGAParishCountyType
Cowper Wharf Roadway, Garden IslandPotts PointSydneyAlexandriaCumberlandPrimary Address

Owner/s

Organisation NameOwner CategoryDate Ownership Updated
Department of Defence - Infrastructure DivisionFederal Government 

Statement of significance:

Sydney Harbour Naval Precinct is of state significance for the role played by the Royal Navy and then the Royal Australian Navy in the development and growth of Sydney as an imperial and then as a global city. It has long associations with victualling and repairing naval vessels and other similar maritime defence activities. Garden Island in particular is significant as a place of the earliest contacts between Aboriginal people and colonists, and is important in the course of introducing and establishing European gardening and cultivation techniques and food plant species. The precinct is important in understanding the patterns of recreational use in the harbour and the development of a harbourside public domain. The precinct has important associations with historically significant people, notably king Bungaree, Governor Lachlan Macquarie, Commodore Loring, Rear Admiral Tyron, and Colonial Architect James Barnet. The precinct provides ample evidence of the technological innovations in the design and construction of machinery for the specialised needs of maintaining naval vessels. The whole precinct makes a notable contribution to the characteristic beauty of Sydney Harbour, and retains a sense of being a low-lying island set against the high-rise Sydney CBD. Significant associations have long existed between the precinct and RN and RAN personnel on active service and in retirement. The precinct retains an ability to yield significant archaeological evidence, both maritime and terrestrial, on the settlement of Sydney and the development of naval facilities. The precinct is rare as the the only example of a fleet base in New South Wales, and illustrates the combination of industrial, military and recreational uses that have characterised the shores and islands of Sydney Harbour since 1788. (HO)
Date significance updated: 30 Jun 04
Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description

Designer/Maker: James Barnet, under the authority of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
Construction years: 1788-1856
Physical description: The Precinct:
The precinct consists of:
- Garden Island;
- the tip of Potts Point;
- the reclaimed area linking the island and the point, and
- part of the eastern shoreline of Woolloomooloo Bay.

The island and the point are high points above sea level of the drowned river valley that now forms Sydney Harbour, which was itself formed between 10 000 and 6 500 years ago as sea levels rose following the last glaciation. The island and point are essentially composed of sandstone, and in 1788 were both vegetated with low coastal heath and woodland formations. The island had hummocks at its north (24metres high) and south (20 metres) ends, with a lower flat between them until substantial re-forming began in 1885 as part of the development of the naval base. The narrow strait between the island at the mainland was filled in durining World War Two to provide further naval facilities, notably a graving dock, and all of the shorelines in the precinct have been substantially covered and reshaped by the construction of seawalls, docks and other facilities since the 1880s (HO).

In 1885 levelling of the southern 'hummock' of the island took place, forever changing its visual appearance. The fill deposited onto the southern side increased the island's land area by 3 acres (Frame, 137). This included erection of barracks. With construction of the new barracks on the site of the original tennis court, a new tennis court was constructed on the northern hill. The courts were built next to a rock carving with the initials of a survey party and the date, 1788.

Two stone slipways were commenced on the eastern side of the Sail Loft in 1887 (Frame, 136-140). At this time the eastern seawall was two-thirds complete.

The water supply problem for the island was solved in 1889 when a water main was laid under Sydney Harbour from Potts Point to the southern end of the island. Water was reticulated around the island through a 15" main. Additional works on the Hill for pathways and levelling in the late 1880s discovered the two cannons that had been installed in 1796 and abandoned. A 6 pounder and 4 pounder, reportedly from HMS Sirius, were refurbished and placed on their appropriate gun carriages and reinstalled, looking towards Fort Denison. By 1896 the Hill not only had paths leading to the tennis court from the residences but a 'rustic summer house' adjacent to the flagstaff on the peak of the Hill. Paths also led to the harbour swimming pool at the north end of the island (Randall, 2019, 9-10).

The 'Naval Garden' is one of the last naval style gardens in Australia (NTA (NSW)).

Significant Trees (15):
1901 in Sydney Harbour the Duke of Cornwall and York undertook a formal inspection of ships of the Australian Sation as well as the naval depot. The Duke and Lord Hopetoun (Australia's inaugural Governor-General) marked their visit by ceremonially planting two trees at a site on the western side of Garden Island's Hill. The Duke planted a Port Jackson fig (Ficus rubiginosa) and Lord Hopetoun a hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii). These are amongst the 15 trees on Garden Island identified on the City of Sydney Register of Significant Trees (Randall, 2019, 10).

These trees are as follows:
8 x Port Jackson figs (Ficus rubiginosa f. glabresecens) (planted 30/5/1901 by Duke of Cornwall, who became King George V);
3 x Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla)
2 x hoop pines (Araucaria cunninghamii) (planted 30/5/1901 by Govr-Genrl. Lord Hopetoun on behalf of Duchess of Cornwall who became Queen Mary)
2 x Canary Island date palms (Phoenix canariensis)
1 x live oak (Quercus virginiana)
1 x Outeniqua yellowwood (Afrocarpus falcatus) (planted by Govr-Genrl. Lord Cowrie, 15/4/1936)
1 x plum pine / Illawarra plum / brown pine (Podocarpus elatus)
1 x Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla)
1 x broad-leaved paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia)
1 x Queensland firewheel tree (Stenocarpus sinuatus) (Read, Stuart - pers.comm., from private visit with Colin Randall, 11/5/2019).

The Royal visit would have initiated a tidying up and defining of the paths leading to the site of the tree planting, adjacent to the tennis court, on the Hill. White painted rocks were no doubt the order of the day. Photographs taken about 1910 show a path on the eastern side of the Hill, leading from the residences towards the swimming pool (Randall, 2019, 10).

The inclusion of 'interesting objects' in the garden appears to have become part of the tradition. One example is the slit drum from the Solomon Islands, collected on Mallo Kollo (Malakula) by Commander AHCC Home RN of HMS Pegasus in 1910 and installed in the garden. This drum was collected during punitive raids by Royal Navy bluejackets following attacks on missionaries (Randall, 2019, 10). In 1914 the RAN took control of Rabaul (PNG): a trophy of that attack was a chain fence, which was brought back to Garden Island and erected in the naval garden. In the 1920s the island's general manager erected a naval gun from the German cruiser SMS Emden and two ships' figureheads as embellishments to the gardens. White painted rocks and bokler bricks were in evidence (Randall, 2019, 10).

1936 Governor-General Lord Gowrie inspected the site. To mark the occasion (commemorated by a brass plaque) he planted an Outenqua yellowwood (Afrocarpus falcatus), a southern and eastern African coniferous tree, on the Hill (Randall, 2019, 10).

In 1941 underground tunnels were excavated with a fan shaft sited adjacent to the Hill's tennis court pavilion. The excavation was for the emergency diesel electricity generator. By 1943 the SMS Emden gun had gone from the Hill (relocated to Hyde Park's south-eastern corner, facing up Oxford Street: Stuart Read, pers.comm., 31/12/2019) but the ships figureheads remained. The use of pipe and wire fencing were utilitarian features of the naval garden in this era (Randall, 2019, 11).

1945-85: more additions and variations to the naval garden's stone walls and garden beds, including (in 1985) an expansive stone platform looking out to Fort Denison and the harbour, providing a convenient place for photographs with dignitaries. Wooden objects felt the passage of time, with the gun carriages needing to be replaced while the Solomon Islands slit drum was reduced in height, through repairs (Randall, 2019, 11).

1999-2019: the most striking change is the growth of many self-seeded trees on the naval garden, including Outeniqua yellowwood, and the reduction in the direct views of the harbour from the Hill. A newly-installed walkway to the top of the old Signal Station now provides the best 360 degree view of Sydney and the harbour. The recent addition of a memorial garden underlines the strong continuing connection many in the Royal Australian Navy still have with the garden on the Hill (Randall, 2019, 11).

Buildings:
Most buildings in the Precinct were built in the 1880s and 1890s. The Captain Cook Graving Dock was built during World War Two, linking the Island to the mainland. Of further interest and worth are sandstone carvings of 1788, the Signal Station and the Royal Australian Navy Historical Collection (RNE).

HMAS Kuttabul is described as Institutional housing of Post war functional style. Podium of lobbies, offices and dining, with l-shaped residential block over (RAIA).

Sculptures:
The timber figurehead of Queen Victoria is off the clipper ship Windsor Castle, which was launched in 1869, and was carved to represent Queen Victoria dressed in regalia. When the ship was sold to become a coal hulk in Sydney Harbour, its master Captain William Cargill put the figurehead in the garden of his house. Discovered years later by Dr C Morris, who presented it to Garden Island.(RNE).

Carved timber figurehead of a woman from the clipper ship Consuela, built in 1880s and which traded to Australia. On display for public viewing (RNE)

Crane:
The Small Dockyard Steam Crane designed for operation on railway lines similar to those once used on the railways system.(RNE)

Secretariat:
The Secretariat is a three storeyed stuccoed brick building moulded to simulate sandstone, hipped slate roof built in 1887. Three storey verandah to three sides supported on cast iron pillars imported from Britain and also support upper floors of interior. Designed as barracks by Barnet. Essentially colonial Georgian design; twelve pane windows and four panel doors. Were large coolrooms underneath, now distilled water plant. Kitchen block: built of brick, stuccoed to represent stone, slate roof, small pane windows.(RNE)

Rigging Shed & Naval Chapel:
The Rigging Shed and Naval Chapel is a two storey stuccoed brick building having stone sills, arches and columns, with original timber beams replaced by steel. Built as a Rigging Shed based on 1790 Admiralty plans. Oldest building on the Island. Sail loft converted into chapel, 1902; stained glass windows made of gelatine were installed from original chapel built 1891. Original loft floor of timber remains caulked with oakum and bitumen, access being by exterior timber stairs. Facades have recessed bays.(RNE). The Chapel incorporates a unique stained glass commemorative window to Australia's first two submarines, AE1 and AE2, based at the Island and lost at Rabaul (1914) and near Gallipoli (1915) respectively.

Hill Road Residences:
The Hill Road Residences are a group of two brick buildings of two storeys, of the maisonette type, built in 1900 as married officer's quarters. Queen Anne style with shingled timber corner balconies and terracotta tiled roofs. Central stuccoed brick core has large batten and rough cast gable with decorative barge board. Some verandahs and balconies have been filled in. (RNE)

Office Building:
The Office Building is a two storey Victorian Italianate building built to Admiralty plans, builtmin 1890 based on 1790 standard designs. Original section of pale brickwork with sandstone trims and clock tower surmounted by a cupola. Five and six panel doors; tiled entrance hall; fine cedar joinery throughout; etched glass in doors with Australian plant designs; arched passage ways; iron balustrade to staircase. Original slate roof now tiled. Side wings added in 1920s. (RNE).

The Hammerhead Crane (1944-51):
On part of the reclaimed land there is a 115.8m (380 yard) long dock and complex of buildings on the western side of Garden Island and eastern edge of Woolloomooloo Bay. The crane occupies a length of 52.1m (171ft) on the fitting out wharf about two thirds along the Captain Cook Dock, beyond the boundary of Garden Island itself. Although the crane is incorporated into the wharf, it is disconnected from it by expansion joints on either side of its abutment with the wharf. The Hammerhead Crane has dominated the skyline since it was built. In 1966 the crane was the largest crane in the southern hemisphere and remains the largest dockside crane in Australia.

The crane consists of an asymmetric horizontal steel truss boom 83m (273ft) long, with a maximum radius of 40m (131ft), swivelling on a square section steel truss tower 15.2m (50ft) square, a height of 68 metres (179ft 3in) from wharf level to top of the cantilever. The main machinery house is situated on top of the boom, making the total height of the complete structure 61.9m (203ft) from wharf level. Foundations consist of four main concrete bases 39.3m (129ft) deep and 30.5m (100ft) below the low water level being 4.6m (15ft) in diameter, taken down to the rock bed.

The maximum lift of the crane is 254 tonnes (250 tons) when the two main purchase hooks are coupled. All crane motors and swivelling gear are electrically driven. The two main purchase hooks are each powered by 90 horse power motors (maximum 1,000 revolutions variation to 100 revolutions minimum) with automatically adjusting brush gear for speed control. Combined, the provide a lift of 254 tonnes (250 tons) operated by one lever, a 40.6 tonne (40 ton) auxiliary hook powered by a 90 horse power motor is also part of the lifting capacity of the crane. A 10.16 tonne (10 ton) capacity hook for handling lifting gear and other items is also available and there is also a 6.1 tonne (6 ton) travelling crane in the main machine house used for maintenance purposes. When tested initially after completion, the maximum test load was 317.5 tonnes (312.5 tons) lifted, lowered and controlled. Steel wire used in the mains sections totalled 1,422 tonnes (1,400 tons), apart from the 71.12 tonnes (70 tons) of electrical gear used. The top of the tower is formed by four 20.32 tonne (20 ton) main girders. Approximately 250,000 rivets were used in construction. (RNE).

Battery Shop:
The Battery Shop is a single storey brick building stuccoed to represent stone. Built in 1880 to Admiralty plans of 1790 as a chain and cable store. Facades are divided up into uniform recessed bays within which are arched openings. Some are small paned windows at the upper level as original but most of the doorways are now bricked up. Simple hipped roof now sheeted with asbestos cement (RNE)

The Factory:
The Factory is a two storey stuccoed brick and stone building built as a factory for fitting out warships, built in 1887 based upon Admiralty plans of 1790. Doors and windows have round headed arches while the asbestos cement roof is in the form of a series of hips with ridge lights. A two storey single gabled section to the north was devoted to making spars and masts (RNE)

Naval Store:
The Naval Store is described in the RNE as a large victualling store constructed in 1893 to an Admiralty design, of polychrome bricks brought from Britain. With sandstone string courses, cornices, sills, granite thresholds to doors. Of three storeys and semi-basement with parapet to the roof, the northern fourth floor never having been completed. Otherwise remains in near original condition with cast iron interior columns (RNE).

Naval Garden:
The Naval Garden is described as one of the last large garden areas on Garden Island and appears to be one of the last `naval style' gardens in Australia - relating in spirit to the garden at Admiralty House, Kirribilli. Much natural vegetation and cultural planting survives on the northwest corner of the site including a large fig tree, a clipped olive hedge, and plantings of aspidistra, hydrangea etc (NTA (NSW)).

Initials carved by seamen of the Sirius in 1788* survive on sandstone formations; cannon from H.M.S. Sirius are displayed in an appropriate naval style together with other mementos brought back by captains. The white painted galvanised iron railings, although crude and recent, are a valid naval style treatment. 20th century sandstone terracing provides a traditional display of garden flowers and is sympathetic to the naval character of the garden (NTA (NSW)).

Significant trees - cultural plantings:
To mark the 1901 Royal visit, the Duke of Cornwall and the Governor-General (on behalf of the Duchess of Cornwall) ceremonially planted trees at a site on the western side of Garden Island's hill. Director of the Sydney Botanic Garden (1895-1924), Joseph Maiden had selected two trees for their longevity, and supervised the planting. The Duke planted a Port Jackson fig (Ficus rubiginosa) and Lord Hopetoun a hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii). These are amongst the 15 trees on Garden Island identified on the City of Sydney Register of Significant Trees (Randall, 2019, 10).
Physical condition and/or
Archaeological potential: 		Due to the extended use of the site by the Royal Australian Navy as an active working facility, general maintenance and upkeep of the built structures and landscape areas is deemed high. The site has witnessed extensive redevelopment and building works since its establishment as a naval facility, including massive land reclamation, levelling and in cases deep excavation works. This has had an effect on the retention of archaeological deposits within the precinct. In places there would be a high level of potential survival (eg in high ground and filled areas), and in others, probable substantial loss of stratified deposits. The precinct is ideally suited for a predictive archaeological modelling plan due to the level of recording of various building phases and their impacts on the localised environment.
Date condition updated:31 Dec 19
Modifications and dates: 1885 - removal of southern hummock of Garden Island.

1941 - underground tunnels excavated with a fan shaft sited adjacent to the Hill's tennis court pavilion for the emergency diesel electricity generator (Randall, 2019, 11).
1942 - Captain Cook Graving Dock built and the island was connected to mainland.
1943 - SMS Emden's gun relocated off the Hill to Hyde Park's south-eastern corner, facing up Oxford Street (Randall, 2019, 11).
1944-51 - Hammerhead Crane built on Captain Cook Dock

1945-85 - more additions and variations to the naval garden's stone walls and garden beds, including (in 1985) an expansive stone platform looking out to Fort Denison and the harbour. Wooden objects felt the passage of time, with the gun carriages needing replacement and the Solomon Islands slit drum reduced in height, through repairs (Randall, 2019, 11).

1999-2019 - the most striking change is growth of many self-seeded trees on the naval garden, including Outeniqua yellowwood, and reduction in the direct views of the harbour from the Hill. A newly-installed walkway to the top of the old Signal Station. Recent addition of a memorial garden on the Hill (Randall, 2019, 11).
Current use: naval base
Former use: Aboriginal land, military garden, harbour defence, naval base, vessel repair, garden, recreation

History

Historical notes: Aboriginal history:
The "Eora people" was the name given to the coastal Aborigines around Sydney. Central Sydney is therefore often referred to as "Eora Country". Within the City of Sydney local government area, the traditional owners are the Cadigal and Wangal bands of the Eora. There is no written record of the name of the language spoken and currently there are debates as whether the coastal peoples spoke a separate language "Eora" or whether this was actually a dialect of the Dharug language. Remnant bushland in places like Blackwattle Bay retain elements of traditional plant, bird and animal life, including fish and rock oysters.

With the invasion of the Sydney region, the Cadigal and Wangal people were decimated but there are descendants still living in Sydney today. All cities include many immigrants in their population. Aboriginal people from across the state have been attracted to suburbs such as Pyrmont, Balmain, Rozelle, Glebe and Redfern since the 1930s. Changes in government legislation in the 1960s provided freedom of movement enabling more Aboriginal people to choose to live in Sydney (Anita Heiss, "Aboriginal People and Place", Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani).

The Aboriginal name for Potts Point is Derrawunn (Sydney City Council, 2019).

The Sydney Harbour Naval Precinct, incorporates Fleet Base East, including the Garden Island Dockyard and adjacent facility Sydney Maritime Headquarters (MHQ) at Potts Point. The precinct is the main naval base in Australia with the country's largest repair and refitting dockyard. Originally established as a British naval Depot, the island developed slowly from early colonial days, with the greatest spurt occurring during World War Two. This period saw massive building programs including the construction of the Captain Cook Graving Dock and reclamation by 1945 that joined the island to the mainland at Potts Point. The dock was then the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere. The Garden Island facility was for a long period known as HMAS Penguin, after the survey vessel, later depot ship, built in 1876. The Garden Island establishment was commissioned at HMAS Penguin until 1 January 1943 (Frame, 171). At this time, the base was renamed HMAS Kuttabul in memory of the loss of that depot ship in the Japanese attack of Sydney Harbour.

Tom Frame, the principal historian of Garden Island, developed a three-part periodisation of the precinct's history: 1788-1856 'The Search for a Naval Depot', 1856-1914 'Developing a Naval Depot', and 1914-1990 'Operating a Naval Depot'. For this history, the Heritage Office has added a preceding phase that explores the significant Aboriginal attachment to the island and surrounding foreshores pre-1788-c.1920, categorised as the 'Ba-ing-hoe and Derawan' phase.

BA-ING-HOE AND DERAWAN, pre-1788 to the 1820s
The topographical formations now known as Garden Island and Potts Point first became recognisable features in the Sydney Harbour landscapes about 6 500 years ago when sea levels stabilised at their current levels. The Cadigal people came to know them by the names of Ba-ing-hoe and Derawan (Attenbrow, 11). In June 2004 the NSW State Government announced an initiative to reintroduce a dual naming policy for such significant landforms. Over the following few thousand years, the harbour's Aboriginal population gradually increased, developed significant technologies (such as fish-hook making), raw material utilisation (such as recovering shells for tool making), and maximised estuarine food resources from rocky shorelines, such as shellfish.

Within 2-3 years of the arrival of the British in 1788, the Cadigal people's patterns of life were increasingly difficult to sustain, due to conflict, loss of resources, disease and the attractions of developing colonial towns. In 1791 it was reported that only three Cadigal people remained alive after a small pox epidemic (Turbet, 21). Others have questioned this rapid demise when, for example, in 1795 it was reported that a large number of people had gathered in Farm Cove, only 500 metres west of the Precinct, for an initiation ceremony (Attenbrow, 131-3).

The island itself must have had some significant connections to certain Aboriginal people, and was known to have been the scene of early armed conflict between local Aboriginal (probably Cadigal) men and British soldiers in 1788 (see below). Cadigal use of the island was not recorded by colonial observers, although other Aboriginal associations were reported. The story of Bungaree's death on the island is notable and has been explored by several writers. Although from Broken Bay, 'King' Bungaree was recognised by Governor Macquarie as the 'Supreme Chief of the Sydney Tribes' (Sydney Gazette 27/11/1830), and was a well known and respected figure around Sydney. Bungaree had accompanied Mathew Flinders on several of his voyages along the east coast, the Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria between 1799 and 1803 (Frame, 78-79). He travelled with King in 1819 (McBryde, 33), so was probably the first Aboriginal person to have circumnavigated Australia (although not in a single voyage). Macquarie's last vice-regal act was to arrange for Bungaree to be given a boat and net so that he could engage in commercial fishing (Horton, 164).

In late 1830 Bungaree was admitted to the General Hospital, and after being sick for some time asked to be taken to Garden Island to die. The 'King's' wish was granted and on 27th November 1830 he passed away surrounded by "his own tribe, as well as that of Darling Harbour'. A coffin was sent to the island from the government lumber yard, and it was reported that Bungaree was to be buried in Rose Bay next to one of his queens (Sydney Gazette 27/11/1830), possibly Matora (Attenbrow, 141). Frame argues (78-79) that Bungaree was taken to die on the island in appreciation of his services to the Royal Navy in assisting Flinders and other navigators. Attenbrow states that by the 1820s the original ways of life of the Cadigal had been lost, although descendants of the Cadigal of 1788 still remained in Sydney. By the 1820s, Ba-ing-hoe and Derawan had become well known in Sydney by the English names of Garden Island and Paddy's Point (Pollon, 208), and colonial forces were beginning the shape the precinct.

THE SEARCH FOR A NAVAL DEPOT, 1788-1856
On the 5th February 1788 Governor Phillip granted Ba-ing-hoe to the ships' company of HMS Sirius for their use as a garden. On 11th February 1788 a party of men was sent to Garden Island for that purpose. From this time the island became known as "Garden Island", although Sirius Island and Sirius Garden Island had some limited use (Frame, 45-46). It was one of the first gardens planted by the First Fleet and provided onions and corn for the crew of HMS Sirius (Randall, 2019, 8). Conflict with the local Cadigal people began at this time when, on 18th February, 17 Aboriginal men (probably Cadigal), landed on the island and collected some of the garden tools lying around. The Royal Marines fired small shot at their legs, forcing them to drop some of the tools before they got away back to the mainland (Frame, 46).

Thus, within weeks of the First Fleet's arrival, the island had become a microcosm of the future of relations between Aboriginal people and their colonisers. Even more tangible evidence of the invasion of the Cadigal domain was provided by some of the early gardeners when three men carved their initials into a rock on the island's northern hill: 'FM', 'IR' and 'WB' with the year '1788'. The men were clearly staking a visual, if unofficial, claim to English control of the land. The garden continued to be cultivated until the loss of HMS Sirius on Norfolk Island in 1790. Although gardening flourished for some time, the new name of the island, and its associations with the navy, became a permanent reminder if its history since 1788. (Frame, 41-56)

In 1789, the Row Boat Guard was established to patrol the harbour for smugglers and a watch house built on the island, but later transferred to Watsons Bay because of a lack of fresh water (Frame, 57).

For nearly 20 years it was the site for ships' gardens, supplying a series of Royal Navy ships. The lack of a permanent water supply was always a limiting factor in the success of gardens (Randall, 2019, 8).

In 1796 the island was transferred to the company of HMS Supply, and a house was built with convict labour - the first permanent structure on the island. In 1799 a gun battery was established on the island's northern hummock (to protect Sydney from potential attack by French warships (Randall, 2019, 8) and between 1800 and 1806 the island was possibly used as a lazaret or quarantine station, but the Royal Navy never relinquished its claims to the island. In 1800 the company of HMS Lady Nelson gained control of the island, and a Dr Brandt, with his pet dog and baboon - which became an attraction for local Sydneysiders to visit the island - lived in the convict house. In April 1803 the Sydney Gazette reported that an Aboriginal man had been shot dead when a party of Aboriginal and white men in canoes and dinghies landed on the island and raided the gardens. A succession of Royal Navy ships companies occupied the island, using it mainly to grow vegetables and fruit for the ship kitchens until 1810 when HMS Hindostan arrived in Sydney with a new Governor, Lachlan Macquarie (Frame, 57-63)

Within a few months of Macquarie's arrival, he had a notice published in the Gazette stating that Garden Island was now part of the Governor's Domain, that all produce of the island was now the Governor's, and prohibited the setting of fires on the island. Thus the island was removed from naval jurisdiction and made part of the vice-regal estates (Frame, 64). The island was used as a place for raising of chickens for the Governor's table (Randall, 2019, 8). This action was not contested by the Royal Navy, which was busy with the American War (1812) and the Napoleonic Wars that ended in 1815, and it was not until 1821 that the stationing of Royal Navy ships in Sydney was resumed. By that time the island was considered part of the Domain, and often visited by the public. In 1821 it was proposed to build a monument to the late Princess of Wales on the island. In 1825 the remains of Judge Advocate Ellis Bent were exhumed from the George Street Cemetery (now the site of Sydney Town Hall) and re-interred in a tomb on the island, and in 1826 Bent's close friend, Major John Ovens, was also entombed on the island (Frame, 64-79).

Alexander Harris, 1840s visitor to Sydney, described Pinchgut and neighbouring Garden Island to its southeast as 'two small scrub-clad piles of hoary stones, each standing solitary amidst the whistling winds of the Stream' (Randall, 2019, 8).

A contemporary wrote in 1842 that 'they wished to lay their bones on this little isle, where they had so often wandered to contemplate and admire the beauties of nature'. The tomb was located on the southern hummock in a 'sylvan glade'. In 1827 the tomb was plundered by thieves for the lead of the coffins, and in 1886 the remains were re-located to St Thomas' churchyard in North Sydney. Three years after the entombment, king Bungaree was brought to die on the island (see above). During the 1830s-1850s, the Sydney press often referred to the island's natural beauty in the harbour, and the general public seemed to have made use of the island for rambling and other recreational pursuits, but the lack of suitable boats for tourists hindered their visiting, and eventually became a reason for returning the island to naval control. By the 1850s, the potential for the island as a place of remembrance and public resort was about to end (Frame, 64-79). It became a popular picnic site for Sydney-siders. The lack of water and facilities limited its appeal, with everything having to be brought with the picnickers (Randall, 2019, 9).

DEVELOPING A NAVAL DEPOT, 1856-1914
Between the 1820s and 1850s, the size of the Royal Navy greatly contracted at a time when the extent of the British Empire continued to grow. At the same time, the technologies of shipping, both naval and merchant, underwent great change with the introduction of steam and the use of steel cladding, to mention just two. The navy continued to be subject to pressures in reducing expenditures, continued to regard the Australasian colonies as offshoots of its East Indies stations, and remained unconvinced as to the value of extensive harbour defence systems. In addition, the imperial authorities in London were coming to a view that the cost of colonial defences should be at least partly born by the colonies. Within New South Wales the view was somewhat different (Frame, 80-97).

The expansion of the wool industry and the gold rushes showed Australia was more than a stopping point between the Pacific and Indian oceans, and the use of Sydney as a base during the Maori Wars in New Zealand emphasised its strategic role. At the same time the agitation for, and then the granting of, responsible government to NSW in 1856 resulted in the elected colonial politicians campaigning for the use of Sydney Harbour as a base for the Royal navy in the South Pacific. (Frame, 80-97).

The Navy's then use of Fort Macquarie as its main residence was not secure due to that site's co-use as part of the Sydney Harbour military defence system. Naval agitation to secure a more secure tenure led to requests of the NSW Government to set aside Garden Island as a purely naval preserve. Debate continued over the need to set aside portions of its northern end for harbour defence purposes and to limit naval building in these areas. The Navy took control of the island in 1858 at a time that coincided with the development of the separate British fleet, the "Australia Station" - to guard against aggression by external naval forces. Garden Island became the base for the flotilla (Frame, 102-108). A survey of the island by crew from HMS Herald provides a unique insight into the undeveloped nature of the island and the logistical difficulties of establishing the base. Commodore Loring became the first commander of the Australia Station on 26 March 1859 with his flagship HMS Isis.

From 1860-1864 little progress was made at Garden Island although the presence of some buildings, roads and a slip were noted (Frame, 111-112).

Finally in 1865, despite continual changes to the inferred area to be incorporated into naval control, a portion of Garden Island was officially gazetted for sole naval use (10 January 1865). The Colonial Naval Defence Act of 1865 allowed for the colonies to form their own navies and to train crew, and cemented the Sydney base as the chief Naval Station (the seat of command for the British Royal Navy: Randall, 2019, 9) in Australia. Significantly on 5 June 1866 the entire portion of Garden Island was gazetted as a Naval Depot, finally reflecting the initial discussions and offer of Garden Island for that purpose, back in 1856 (Frame, 116). Defence requirements continued and a new gun battery in a sunken gun pit was opened on the northern hill in 1871.

Significant building work on the island did not commence until 1885 when the British Admiralty's engineer James Fishenden was sent out from England to plan and oversee works. This saw the levelling of the southern 'hummock' of the island, forever changing its visual appearance. The fill deposited onto the southern side increased the island's land area by 3 acres (Frame, 137).

Ship boat repair facilities were constructed. The lack of a permanent water supply remained an issue, with water coming from rainwater capture and delivery by barge. However, there was sufficient water for a lawn tennis court to be laid down in 1880 in part of the area originally used by the ship's garden. The sport of tennis was first introduced to Australia around 1875 and Royal Navy and Marine officers were keen exponents (Randall, 2019, 9).

1885 saw the appointment of Rear Admiral Tryon which raised the Australia Station to Flag rank status (Frame, 137). The major transformation of Garden Island followed the levelling of the southern hill and included the erection of barracks for Royal Marines and sailors. Cottages built in 1885 for the supervisors of the construction were then turned over for use by naval staff. With construction of the new barracks on the site of the original tennis court, a new tennis court was constructed on the northern hill. The courts were built next to a rock carving with the initials of a survey party and the date, 1788. Until the building of this new tennis court in 1885, the hill was representative of the native vegetation on what were the sandstone outcrops (Randall, 2019, 9: see Frame below - he dates the Barracks' construction as in 1887).

A combined Rigging Shed and Sail Loft was to be commenced first, with the foundations of the Rigging Workshop, Kitchen Block, Anchor Store, Chain Store, Factory Workshop and Spar Shed laid in 1886 (Frame, 136-140).

Two stone slipways were commenced on the eastern side of the Sail Loft in 1887 and the Barracks building initiated that same year (Frame, 136-140). The Barracks consisted of three levels of Tuscan columned verandas with a symmetrical arrangement and the second level serving as Fleet Hospital (see also Rivett, 1999: 5-9). The building served as accommodation for crews on the Australia Station vessels. At this time the eastern seawall was two-thirds complete. Building works continued slowly and the Sail Loft and Rigging Shed was not formally acquired by the Admiralty until 1889. This followed years of debate over funding and negotiations with the NSW Government .(Frame, 146). Colonial Architect James Barnet was involved with drafting the plans for the Rigging Shed and Barracks Building (Frame, 136).

James Johnstone Barnet (1827-1904) was made acting Colonial Architect in 1862 and appointed Colonial Architect from 1865-90. He was born in Scotland and studied in London under Charles Richardson, RIBA and William Dyce, Professor of Fine Arts at King's College, London. He was strongly influenced by Charles Robert Cockerell, leading classical theorist at the time and by the fine arts, particularly works of painters Claude Lorrain and JRM Turner. He arrived in Sydney in 1854 and worked as a self-employed builder. He served as Edmund Blacket's clerk of works on the foundations of the Randwick (Destitute Childrens') Asylum. Blacket then appointed Barnet as clerk-of-works on the Great Hall at Sydney University. By 1859 he was appointed second clerk of works at the Colonial Architect's Office and in 1861 was Acting Colonial Architect. Thus began a long career. He dominated public architecture in NSW, as the longest-serving Colonial Architect in Australian history. Until he resigned in 1890 his office undertook some 12,000 works, Barnet himself designing almost 1000. They included those edifices so vital to promoting communication, the law and safe sea arrivals in colonial Australia. Altogether there were 169 post and telegraph offices, 130 courthouses, 155 police buildings, 110 lockups and 20 lighthouses, including the present Macquarie Lighthouse on South Head, which replaced the earlier one designed by Francis Greenway. Barnet's vision for Sydney is most clearly seen in the Customs House at Circular Quay, the General Post Office in Martin Place and the Lands Department and Colonial Secretary's Office in Bridge Street. There he applied the classicism he had absorbed in London, with a theatricality which came from his knowledge of art (Le Sueur, 2016, 6).

A contract to build the urgently Naval Store was finally let on 26th July 1892 to Howie Brothers, after contracts were let in 1891, and work was completed early in 1894 for 31,886 pounds. The building comprised a four storey (semi-basement and three upper floors) late Victorian Warehouse of load bearing polychrome bricks with sandstone string courses, cornices, sills, copings and granite thresholds to doors. The building is divided into five fire separated compartments by vertical cross walls. Within each are two rows of circular cast iron columns supporting iron girders, timber joists and a 50mm tallowwood floor. The ground floor was paved with Val-de-Travers asphalt 38mm thick. Plan dimensions of the building are approximately 64m x 39m. The building is located next to the eastern side of Building 88. Lightly framed wrought iron roof trusses span between the masonry walls and support the roof. Originally corrugated galvanised iron, the roof has been corrugated asbestos cement and is currently zincalume.

To service the stores, five externally mounted wrought iron whips were provided above the large arched doorways on the northern side. Between these doorways and around the rest of the building are numerous windows of varying size. The timber framed double hung windows have 2 and 4 light sashes. In the centre of the northern and southern parapet, carved in sandstone is the Royal cypher of Queen Victoria and the date 1893. The original water operated hydraulic plant consisted of engines, accumulators, five hoists (whips) and two lifts. The lifts have since been electrified with light motor rooms projecting above the roof level. The accumulator, originally planned to be located in Building 95 is now located in the western bay of Building 89. Additions (Buildings 87 and 90) have been constructed on the southern and eastern sides. Architectural Style: Victorian Warehouse (NTA (NSW)).

Other building work included the semi-detached residences completed in 1896, Barracks and Kitchen wing in 1889, battery shed, factory and workshop in 1891, naval stores complex in 1894, main offices in 1895, further residences and the core shop in 1895 and the boat shed in 1896. That year saw the entire Garden Island depot completed and handed over to Rear Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge, Commander-in-Chief, on behalf of the Admiralty. Frame, 149). The Royal Australian Navy now finally had an established base (NTA (NSW)).

The water supply problem for the island was solved in 1889 when the NSW Harbours and Rivers Department laid a water main under Sydney Harbour from Potts Point to the southern end of the island. Water was then reticulated around the island through a 15" main. Additional works on the Hill for pathways and levelling in the late 1880s discovered the two cannons that had been installed in 1796 and abandoned. A 6 pounder and 4 pounder, reportedly from HMS Sirius, were refurbished and placed on their appropriate gun carriages and reinstalled, looking towards Fort Denison. By 1896 the Hill not only had paths leading to the tennis court from the residences but a 'rustic summer house' adjacent to the flagstaff on the peak of the Hill. Paths also led to the harbour swimming pool at the north end of the island (Randall, 2019, 9-10).

The 'Naval Garden' is one of the last naval style gardens in Australia (NTA (NSW)). The inclusion of 'interesting objects' in the naval garden appears to have become part of the tradition. One example is the slit drum from the Solomon Islands, collected on Mallo Kollo (Malakula) by Commander AHCC Home RN of HMS Pegasus in 1910 and installed in the garden. This drum was collected during punitive raids by Royal Navy bluejackets following attacks on missionaries (Randall, 2019, 10).

SUPPORTING THE AUSTRALIA STATION 1895-1914
Consolidation of the base was a feature of this period with specialist staff brought out from England and labour recruited locally, including civilians. 1900 saw Australia's participation in the Boxer Rebellion, particularly the New South Wales Naval Brigade and the conversion to troopship at Garden Island of the steamship SS Salamis (Frame, 153).

1901 saw the vessels and personnel from the former Colonial navies transferred to the Commonwealth on 1 March 1901 with the proclamation of the Australian Commonwealth (Frame, 153). On 9 May 1901 the Duke of Cornwall opened the first Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, in Melbourne. Later that month he travelled with the Duchess to Sydney. On 30 May 1901 in Sydney Harbour he undertook a formal inspection of ships of the Australian Sation as well as the naval depot on Garden Island. The Duke and Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun (Australia's inaugural Governor-General) travelled from Admiralty House, Kirribilli by steam launch, and inspected a guard of honour in front of the Garden Island barracks. To mark the occasion of their visit the Duke of Cornwall and the Governor-General (on behalf of the Duchess of Cornwall) ceremonially planted trees at a site on the western side of Garden Island's hill. Director of the Sydney Botanic Garden (1895-1924), Joseph Maiden had selected two trees for their longevity, and supervised the planting. The Duke planted a Port Jackson fig (Ficus rubiginosa) and Lord Hopetoun a hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii). These are amongst the 15 trees on Garden Island identified on the City of Sydney Register of Significant Trees. The Royal visit would have initiated a tidying up and defining of the paths leading to the site of the tree planting, adjacent to the tennis court, on the Hill. White painted rocks were no doubt the order of the day. Photographs taken about 1910 show a path on the eastern side of the Hill, leading from the residences towards the swimming pool (Randall, 2019, 10).

Australia signed the Naval Agreement with Britain in 1903 which continued Royal Navy vessels as part of the Australia Station, although supported with a financial subsidy (Frame, 153).

Building work during this period included the construction of a Naval Prison with plans initially drawn up by the Colonial Architect back in 1888. The work was substantially complete by 1905. 1902 had seen part of the Sail Loft partitioned off to form a Naval Chapel, and various minor additions were added for this use, including a prisoners' gallery (Frame, 157). The ownership question of Garden Island was raised again at the end of the decade with Britain's intention to withdraw vessels on the Australia Station due to the Australian Governments moves to determine its own naval policy. The NSW State Government believed the Commonwealth, once it took ownership, should pay it for building works perfomed. The withdrawal of British fleet support for Australia was widely debated in the media at the time (Frame, 162-4).

In 1908 the arrival of the US Great White Fleet caused alarm in Sydney due to its ability to 'surprise' the local population. The Garden Island base was used to support the fleet of sixteen battleships during their week's stay (Frame, 162). German strength in the Pacific raised further alarm and the Imperial Conference on Naval Affairs held in 1909 led the British to develop a Pacific Fleet, the Australian Station component being funded and manned entirely by Australia (Frame, 165).

Garden Island was formally handed over from the British Admiralty to the Commonwealth Government in 1913 and coincided with the establishment of the first wholly owned and operated Royal Australian Navy. The Island would become increasingly vital to maintain and support the vessels. This fleet was headed by the new Indefatigable-class battlecruiser HMAS Australia, which was contructed from 1910 and arrived amidst much fanfare with other fleet units on 4 October 1913. Their entry to Port Jackson initiated the tradition of the naval fleet review (HO). The fleet also comprised the light cruisers Sydney, Melbourne and the aging Encounter, the torpedo boat destroyers Parramatta, Warrego and Yarra, and the two submarines AE1 and AE2 (which did not arrive until 1914).

With changeover from Royal Navy to the Royal Australian Navy in 1913, Garden Island came under new management. The six residences housed naval officers and civilians essential for the running of the naval base including general manager, master attendent and chief stores officer (Randall, 2019, 10).

OPERATING A NAVAL DEPOT, 1914-1990
During World War One (1914-1918) Garden Island was the principle naval asset for the fitting out and arming of transports and troopships. Some 79 vessels were refitted and repaired at the facility with 852 ship visits including service to Australian naval vessels, Royal Navy, and that of France and Japan. 1917 saw a major union dispute on the island which had a potential significant impact on war production and services. The dispute arose out of the introduction of the American "Taylor" system of job cards and involved much of the eastern States (Frame, 173-4).

The island played a unique part in naval history in 1914 when it served as the base of Australia's first submarine flotilla. HMAS AE1 and AE2, British E-Class submarines, were based there until AE1 was lost near Rabaul (Papua New Guine) in 1914 and AE2 famously near Gallipoli during the Dardanelles Campaign of 1915. These were also the first submarines in the Southern Hemisphere and attracted significant public attention (HO). In September 1914 the RAN took control of Rabaul from the Germans. A trophy of that attack was a chain fence, which was brought back to Garden Island and erected in the naval garden (Randall, 2019, 10).

The end of the war did not lead to an immediate downturn in work at Garden Island as the many merchant ships fitted out as troop ships had to be reconverted. However from 1920 onwards, significant reduction in labour and reorganisation of the Dockyard to achieve efficiencies (Frame, 176-7) were a feature. A Royal Commission was established by the Commonwealth Government in 1921 to assess the needs and future uses of both the Garden Island facility and Cockatoo Island, which always generated competing debate. The report concluded that there was insufficient work to keep both establishments fully employed and Cockatoo was transferred to the control of the Prime Minister's Department on 1 July 1921. The Royal Commission had the effect of restricting expansion or development at Garden Island which witnessed continued large staff reductions (Frame, 178-9).

In the 1920s the general manager erected a naval gun from the German cruiser SMS Emden and two ships' figureheads as embellishments to the gardens. White painted rocks and bokler bricks were in evidence (Randall, 2019, 10).

The 1920s-1930s was a volatile time for the security of naval control over Garden Island. Earlier debates about its ownership were reopened when, post-war, the New South Wales State Government, through its State Crown Lands Consolidation Act of 1913, contended its rights over control. The State argued that the RAN's use of the island was inconsistent with the original 1865 and 1866 Declarations which were for the purpose only of a naval depot for the Royal Navy. On 12 October 1923 the State Government formally revoked the earlier dedications and by 1924 issued an ultimatum to the Commonwealth for possession of the island, or a declaration of that entitlement, plus claims for profits owed for its use. The High Court upheld the State's claim though severely criticised it for taken such actions.

The Commonwealth deferred any decision and by mid 1919 NSW Premier J.T. Lang demanded payment for the island's use from October 1923 and a timeline for Commonwealth abandonment of the site (Frame, 183-4). A change of Federal Government stalled the issue. The State's 1932 land valuation was contested and a recommendation made by the Department of Defence to buy the island outright for a reduced sum, partly due to the benefit the facility provided to the State in terms of labour, major works and associated facilities in Sydney Harbour that would close with abandonment of Garden Island. As these debates continued the functioning efficiency of the island dwindled with much machinery obsolete or worn out from wartime work. World economic downturn played a significant part as the Depression took hold (Frame, 191).

After opening Australia's new parliament house in Canberra in 1927 the Duke of York (later to be King George VI), like his father in 1901, did an inspection of Naval fleet units (HMAS Adelaide and Sydney) and Garden Island, where he ascended the hill and planted two trees there (Colin Randall, pers.comm., 25/7/2020; Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate, 28/3/1927, 4).

On 15 April 1936 Governor-General Lord Gowrie inspected the Garden Island naval depot and HMAS Moresby and Penguin (ex Platypus), the depot ship. To mark the occasion (commemorated by a brass plaque) he planted an Outenqua yellowwood (Afrocarpus falcatus), a southern and eastern African coniferous tree, on the Hill (Randall, 2019, 10).

Late 1930s world political events led to a re-assessment of the need for Australia's national naval defence and the importance of facilities such as Garden Island. A major obstacle was the lack of sufficient docking facilities for large capital ships, particularly the availability of a graving dock (Frame 188). In 1938, the Federal Cabinet approved, in principle, the construction of an Australian naval graving dock. 3 September 1939 saw Australia at war with Germany (Frame, 191).

On 1 May 1940, Prime Minister Robert Menzies tabled plans for construction of the graving dock in Parliament. As Frame notes, construction of the graving dock and ancillary equipment such as cranes, "would be the greatest engineering feat in Australia's history, surpassing even the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It would involve the reclamation of thirty acres between Potts Point and Garden Island" (Frame, 190). Work on the graving dock commenced from 1940-1942 and proceeded night and day, following the fall of Singapore and loss of facilities there. A special sandstone quarry was opened up at Balls Head to supply stone for the coffer dam. The dock gates, or caissons were designed by Vickers Armstrong in the UK and built by the Sydney Steel Company Pty Ltd. They included steel capable of building a 10,000 ton ship and were viewed as the most difficult welding project ever conducted in Australia up to that time (Frame, 191).

In 1941 underground tunnels were excavated with a fan shaft sited adjacent to the Hill's tennis court pavilion. The excavation was for the emergency diesel electricity generator (Randall, 2019, 11).

World War Two saw a reinstatement of the critical value of Garden Island to national defence and the facility immediately undertook extensive vessel repairs and modification work. The importance of the facility was demonstrated on 31 May 1942 when the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked Sydney Harbour with a fleet of five I-class ocean going submarines and three midget submarines. The principle targets were heavy ships in port at that time, including cruiser USS Chicago tied up at No.2 Buoy on the eastern side of Garden Island. While the raid was a failure with no significant losses, bar two of the midget submarines, the island Depot Ship, the ex-ferry Kuttabul, was destroyed by torpedo alongside Garden Island, killing 21 sailors. The importance of this tragedy is remembered with a commemorative plaque on the eastern side of Garden Island, annual commemoration ceremonies at that historic spot and the naming of the HMAS Kuttabul base.

The Dutch submarine K-IX was also damaged by the explosion while a second torpedo ran ashore on the island and failed to explode (HO; No Cause for Alarm, 2002: 23). Dockyard Torpedo Depot staff undertook the dangerous disarming task (Frame, 196). 1944 was a significant year with the Commonwealth Government formally acquiring Garden Island from the New South Wales Government for (pounds)600,000 after having resumed the land under wartime regulations in 1939 (Frame, 199). The graving dock was by this time almost complete. On 2 March 1945 the British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious required urgent repairs and entered the dock three weeks prior to its opening. Officially opened on 24 March 1945, the dock was named in honour of Captain James Cook RN, with the celebratory ribbon cut by the bow of the frigate HMAS Lachlan. By war's end, the dock had accommodated some of the most famous British battleships and carriers, Indomitable, Duke of York, Implacable, Indefatigable, King George V, Illustrious and Formidable and serviced its largest guest, the battleship HMS Anson of 45,360 tons (Frame, 199). Post World War Two, industrial relation issues came to the fore between dockyard workers and managers.

By 1943 the SMS Emden's gun had gone from the Hill (relocated to Hyde Park's south-eastern corner, facing up Oxford Street: Stuart Read, pers.comm., 31/12/2019) but the ships figureheads remained. The use of pipe and wire fencing were utilitarian features of the naval garden in this era (Randall, 2019, 11).

Over the next 40 years there were more additions and variations to the naval garden's stone walls and garden beds, including (in 1985) an expansive stone platform looking out to Fort Denison and the harbour. This provided a convenient place for photographs with visiting dignitaries as well as the annual apprentices' photograph. Wooden objects felt the passage of time, with the gun carriages needing to be replaced while the Solomon Islands slit drum was reduced in height, through repairs (Randall, 2019, 11).

The 1975 formal recognition of the Garden Island Combined Union Shop Committee (CUSC) representing 13 unions, provided a level of stability (Frame 207). In March 1977, then Minister for Defence, Jim Killen, announced a planning team to examine the modification of the Dockyard and Fleet Base. Apart from efficiencies of space and traffic movement, the plan sought to address the need to retain and preserve historic building and artefacts on site. The modernisation program was completed in mid-1990, transforming the appearance of the base (Frame, 209).

The importance of Garden Island rose from 1987 when then Minister for Defence, Kim Beazley announced the Government's intention to sell its interest in the Williamtown Naval Dockyard, Cockatoo Island (other than for submarine refit), while the State Dockyard at Newcastle was also to go. This activity was in part to pay for a huge fleet modernisation program, including purchase of Collins Class submarines and ANZAC Frigates. In 1988 the Hawke Government corporatised Garden Island into the new Commonwealth-owned company, Australian Defence Industries (ADI) (Stevens 246). Garden Island became the only Government owned and operated dockyard in Australia and was set on a cost-recovery basis, including provision for undertaking commercial contracts (Frame, 209-210).

In 2013 there was a proposal to demolish Garden Island's Hammerhead Crane associated with the Captain Cook Dock and to salvage parts for a memorial on Mrs Macquarie's Point.

The following information on the Hammerhead Crane comes from the RNE:
On part of the reclaimed land there is a 115.8m (380 yard) long dock and a complex of buildings on the western side of Garden Island and on the eastern edge of Woolloomooloo Bay. The crane occupies a length of 52.1m (171ft) on the fitting out wharf about two thirds along the Captain Cook Dock, beyond the boundary of Garden Island itself. Although the crane is incorporated into the wharf, it is disconnected from it by expansion joints on either side of its abutment with the wharf. The Hammerhead Crane has dominated the skyline since it was built. In 1966 the crane was the largest crane in the southern hemisphere and remains the largest dockside crane in Australia. Like the dockyard itself, it was engineered to the extremes of likely demand and represented the contingency approach to naval support planning in the aftermath of the two World Wars. Tenders for the crane were called in 1944 and construction occurred 1944-51.

The Sydney Steel Company Pty Ltd was contracted to fabricate and erect the crane to the design of Sir William Arrol, with Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners as consultants. All mechanical and electrical equipment came from England and all structural steelwork was fabricated and erected by the Sydney Steel Company. The crane's main function was the removal and refitting of gun turrets to warships. It was last used in 1988 for heavy lifting of power station stators (the cores of electrical generators). Upon completion in February 1952, the Minister for Works, the Honourable J J Cahill, drove in the final rivet to complete the edifice. According to an undated brochure published by the Navy, the Hammerhead Crane first came into use in March, 1951. According to the specification, all fabricated steelwork had to be assembled and then trial erected to check the faring of holes and camber of booms. At the time of trial erection of the cantilever and during preliminary checking for camber, it was found impracticable to build the cantilever the right way up as this would have necessitated a great deal of shoring because the jib tapered from 11.28m (37ft) in the centre to 4.6m (15ft) at the nose. It was then decided to build the cantilever upside down as the top chord only had a camber of 20.7cm (8.5/32in).

Pre-cast concrete blocks were placed at each panel to give the correct camber and trial erection then proceeded satisfactorily: all splices being 60% pinned and bolted using parallel pins so as not to damage the holes. After the trial erection ended, the structure was dismantled and transported to the site for final erection. Work commenced on the foundation cylinders in August 1944 (each of the four cylinders were named (A to D). In March 1945 the precast sections B and D each weighing 146.8 tonnes (144.5 tons) were lifted and placed in their prepared guides using the floating crane Titan. They proved watertight but were extremely lively in the water, the slightest wash from a passing launch causing them to strike heavily against their staging. Work on the foundations continued but water penetration of cylinders A and C became a concern caused by general seepage and then by small leaks. By 19 August 1946, the Engineer in Chief reported: 'Water was coming in fairly rapidly' and on 24 August two divers worked in relays plugging the leak, but the depth was great and the job was not successful. Divers working in 31.4m (103ft) of water could only generally work for a total time of 2 hours 50 minutes in two shifts...

In 2018 a two-stage critical infrastructure recovery (upgrade) program of works at Garden Island commenced, with the Department of Defence delivering construction works until mid-2021 (stage 1) and the end of 2023 (stage 2). Works include demolishing most of the northern-most wharves, rock infill, dredging. piling for new wharves, upgrade of power, sewer infrastructure within the centre and northern parts of the Naval Base. The main Fleet Base Wharf will see concrete demolition, wharf deck repair and sheet piling (Department of Defence, community info flier, 9/2019).

Volunteer guides from the Naval Historical Society of Australia run a heritage walking tour on Garden Island's Hill on one sunday each month. Some guides are ex-Navy, others have lived or worked on the island for many years. Arrival is by ferry and bookings can be made or further information sought from www.navyhistory.org.au (Randall, 2019, 11).

Vice-Admiral David Leach, a former Chief of Naval Staff was given a hero's farewell, with some 250 mourners at the Naval Chapel on Garden Island on 31 January 2019. Leach shaped the modern navy, his legacy much in evidence as the ceremonial guard of 24 able and leading seamen lined up. ine members of the guard with rifles ready to fire were women. He oversaw the introduction of women into sea-going roles. Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead, Chief of the Navy, Vice-Admiral Michael Noonan, NSW Governor Margaret Beazley attended. The most senior sailor in the navy, Warrant Officer Deb Butterworth, was also the first female warrant officer. Admiral Noonan said that David Leach showed great leadership as Chief of Naval Staff from 1982-85. Leach had a 43 year career from age 13, joining the RAN College in 1942. He was awarded a CBE for commanding HMAS Perth in her second deployment in the Vietnam War (Barlass, 2020, 14).

Taylor Brammer Landscape Architects created a Master Plan for Garden Island, and detailed design to create public access to the northern portion of the site. This work involved historic research, site analysis, tree survey and condition reporting. A Site management strategy has been implemented to ensure this place is maintained based on its heritage values (www.taylorbrammer.com.au/heritage).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)New South Wales themeLocal theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures. Gardens-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures. Other open space-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures. Introduce cultural planting-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures. Changing the environment-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures. Cultural: Rivers and water bodies important to humans-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures. Cultural: Conserving and protecting natural features-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures. Cultural - Coasts and coastal features supporting human activities-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures. Modification of terrain-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present. Eora Nation - burying and remembering the dead-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present. All nations - places of battle or other early interactions between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent Convict-Activities relating to incarceration, transport, reform, accommodation and working during the convict period in NSW (1788-1850) - does not include activities associated with the conviction of persons in NSW that are unrelated to the imperial 'convict system': use the theme of Law & Order for such activities Working for the Crown-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent Convict-Activities relating to incarceration, transport, reform, accommodation and working during the convict period in NSW (1788-1850) - does not include activities associated with the conviction of persons in NSW that are unrelated to the imperial 'convict system': use the theme of Law & Order for such activities Administering the convict system-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent Convict-Activities relating to incarceration, transport, reform, accommodation and working during the convict period in NSW (1788-1850) - does not include activities associated with the conviction of persons in NSW that are unrelated to the imperial 'convict system': use the theme of Law & Order for such activities Demonstrating convicts' experiences and activities-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies Technology-Activities and processes associated with the knowledge or use of mechanical arts and applied sciences Technologies of constructing military buildings and structures-
5. Working-Working Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour Working in ports and on shipping-
5. Working-Working Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour Working complex machinery and technologies-
5. Working-Working Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour Working for the defence services-
5. Working-Working Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour Working on public infrastructure projects-
5. Working-Working Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour Wharfside and Port Work Culture-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Naval establishment or involvement-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Naval establishment or involvement-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Sydney invasion-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Military barracks accommodation-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Navy housing-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Memorialising those who served in war-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Involvement with the Vietnam War-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Involvement with the First (Great) World War-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Involvement with the Second World War-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation State links in a national network-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Defending the homeland-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Capturing and displaying war trophies-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Training military personnel-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Observing and looking out for enemy movements-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Commemorative naming of defence facilities and materials-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Storing Ordnance-
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Making and repairing ships for naval use-May include Aboriginal battle sites, war memorials.
7. Governing-Governing Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation Making and repairing ships for naval use-May include Aboriginal battle sites, war memorials.
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. State government-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Sydney's colonial settlement; Shipping-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Colonial government-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Resuming land for Royal Australian Navy facilities-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Developing roles for government - administration of land-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Public works-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Federal Government-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Developing roles for government - managing the convict system-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Developing roles for government - building and operating public infrastructure-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Developing roles for government - conserving cultural and natural heritage-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Providing public offices and buildings-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Creating and displaying Coats of Arms and official emblems and symbols-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Developing roles for government - public land administration-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Direct vice-regal governance (pre 1856)-
7. Governing-Governing Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities. Administering ports and shipping facilities-Includes maladministration.
7. Governing-Governing Law and order-Activities associated with maintaining, promoting and implementing criminal and civil law and legal processes Prison colony-
7. Governing-Governing Law and order-Activities associated with maintaining, promoting and implementing criminal and civil law and legal processes Policing and enforcing the law on the water-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Industrial buildings-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Developing cultural institutions and ways of life-National Theme 8
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Architectural styles and periods - 20th century Modern Movement-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Interior design styles and periods - 20th century Inter War-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Architectural styles and periods - Interwar Functionalist-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Architectural styles and periods - 20th century Brutalism-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Landscaping - late 20th century-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Landscaping - neglected, regenerating to bushland-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Architectural styles and periods - Edwardian Queen Anne bungalow revival-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. work of stonemasons-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Applying architectural design to utlilitarian structures-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Evolution of design in Naval architecture-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Performing important ceremonies and rituals-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Architectural styles and periods - Federation Arts and Crafts-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Landscaping - Federation period-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Building and using prefabricated structures-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Technological innovation and design solutions-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Architectural styles and periods - Victorian (late)-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Building in response to natural landscape features.-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Designing structures to emphasise their important roles-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Designing making and using coats of arms and heraldry-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Building in response to climate - bushfires-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Designing to evoke nationalistic feelings-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Landscaping - Victorian period-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Landscaping - colonial period-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Landscaping - 20th century interwar-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Landscaping - 20th century post WW2-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Interior design styles and periods - Victorian-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Interior design styles and periods - Modernist-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Applying architectural design to industrial structures-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Architectural styles and periods - Victorian bungalow-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Interior design styles and periods - Edwardian-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Architectural styles and periods - Victorian (mid)-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions. Ways of life 1900-1950-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions. Ways of life 1950-2000-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions. Ways of life 1788-1850-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions. Ways of life 1850-1900-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions. Living near factories and industrial complexes-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions. Ornamental Garden-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions. Living in, adapting and renovating homes for changing conditions-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation Outdoor relief-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation Tourism-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation Visiting gardens-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation Activities associated with relaxation and recreation-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation Playing tennis-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation Visiting heritage places-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation Developing collections of items-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation Going to talks and lectures-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation Going to a museum-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation Gathering at landmark places to socialise-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation Visiting lookouts and places of natural beauty-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities Community volunteering-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities Developing and maintaining a local museum-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities Places of informal community gatherings-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities Local adaptive reuses of military sites-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities Commemorating war losses-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities Belonging to an historical society or heritage organisation-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities Developing local clubs and meeting places-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Sport-Activities associated with organised recreational and health promotional activities Private sporting facilities-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Sport-Activities associated with organised recreational and health promotional activities tennis-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Birth and Death-Activities associated with the initial stages of human life and the bearing of children, and with the final stages of human life and disposal of the dead. Erecting and visiting monuments and memorials-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Birth and Death-Activities associated with the initial stages of human life and the bearing of children, and with the final stages of human life and disposal of the dead. War Memorial-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Birth and Death-Activities associated with the initial stages of human life and the bearing of children, and with the final stages of human life and disposal of the dead. Commemorative tree planting to war dead-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Birth and Death-Activities associated with the initial stages of human life and the bearing of children, and with the final stages of human life and disposal of the dead. Burying and remembering notable persons-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Lord Gowrie, Australian Governor General, 1930s-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with James Barnet, Colonial (Government) Architect 1862-90-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Governor (later Adm.) Arthur Phillip, 1788-1792,-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with King Bungaree of the Sydney Tribes-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Sir George Tryon, Rear Admiral RN-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Commodore James Loring RN-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Joseph Henry Maiden, Director Botanic Gardens 1896-1924, botanist, museum curator-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Governor (Captn.) Phillip Gidley King RN, 1800-1806-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Lord Hopetoun, first Australian Governor General-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Governor (Captn.) John Hunter RN, 1795-1800-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Prince , Duke of Cornwall and York, future King-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Commander A.H.C.C. Home, Royal Navy, Commander of HMS Pegasus-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with the Hon. J.T. (Jack) Lang MLA, NSW Treasurer, Premier-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Governor (later Maj-Gen.) Lachlan Macquarie, 1810-1821-

Assessment of significance

SHR Criteria a)
[Historical significance] 		Sydney Harbour Naval Precinct is of state significance for its ability to demonstrate the importance of the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy to the development of Sydney as an imperial and later a global city. Garden Island has long been associated with maritime activities such as victualling and repairing naval vessels, and with the building and operation of harbourside defences. The precinct is significant in the course of NSW history for its role since the 1880s as the most important fleet base in Australia. The precinct is also significant as a place of the earliest contacts between Aboriginal people and colonists, with a very early armed encounter taking place on the island in 1789. The island is significant in the course of establishing European gardening techniques and methods in Australia by trial and error. The precinct, and the island in particular, are important in the patterns of recreational use of, and public campaigns for increasing public access to, Sydney Harbour as part of the public domain. (HO)
SHR Criteria b)
[Associative significance] 		Sydney Harbour Naval Precinct is of state significance for its associations with significant people and groups, notably with the Cadigal people for whom the island was part of their country; with king Bungaree the ‘King of Sydney’, maritime explorer and probably first Aboriginal person to travel right around the continental coastlines, who specifically asked to die there; with Governor Macquarie who first brought the island into the public domain; with Commordore James Loring, the first commander of the Royal Navy establishment at Garden Island; with Colonial Architect James Barnet who designed many of the precinct’s buildings; and with Rear Admiral Sir George Tyron, first commander in chief of the Australia station of the Royal Navy whose appointment to the Garden Island raised the status of the Australia station to that of a flag rank in 1885. (HO)
SHR Criteria c)
[Aesthetic significance] 		Sydney Harbour Naval Precinct is of state significance for the technical innovation it can demonstrate in the naval machinery designed and constructed for the specialised maintenance of navy vessels; and for its contribution to the beauty and characteristic qualities of Sydney Harbour as a low, bulbous headland projecting into the blue waters of the harbour, with a collection of low scale, late Victorian naval buildings lying just above a shoreline entirely skirted by sea walls and docks, beneath the towering, skeletal frame of the Hammerhead Crane watching over it all, and edged by an ever changing variety of naval vessels, all set against a backdrop of the late 20th century high rise of Sydney CBD forming a harbourscape of unparalleled aesthetic qualities (HO
SHR Criteria d)
[Social significance] 		Sydney Harbour Naval Precinct has special associations with personnel of the Royal Australian Navy who have served there, and who maintain contact with the place through the location of the headquarters of associations for former personnel (HO).
SHR Criteria e)
[Research potential] 		Sydney Harbour Naval Precinct is of state significance for its ability to yield information about the earliest period of colonial settlement in Australia and as a benchmark site for the study of naval facilities on the east coast. The precinct, although subject to disturbance especially during the building of the graving dock, retains potential for maritime archaeological remains associated with the early wharf and jetty facilities, and depositional material from the shore and fleet units. (HO)
SHR Criteria f)
[Rarity] 		Sydney Harbour Naval Precinct is rare at the state level as the only example in New South Wales of a Royal Australian Navy Fleet Base, and as a naval facility that has been in almost continual use for defence purposes since 1788. (HO)
SHR Criteria g)
[Representativeness] 		Sydney Harbour Naval Precinct is representative of the ways in which the islands and headlands of Sydney Harbour have been used for industrial and military purposes during the late colonial and 20th century periods, and is illustrative of the debates about recreational use of the harbour’s isles and foreshores during the early colonial and later 20th century periods. (HO)
Assessment criteria: Items are assessed against the PDF State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management CategoryDescriptionDate Updated
Recommended ManagementProduce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) 
Recommended ManagementProduce an Archaeological Management Plan (AMP) 
Recommended ManagementProduce an Archaeological Zoning Plan (AZP) 
Recommended ManagementPrepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines 
Recommended ManagementCarry out interpretation, promotion and/or education 

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of actDescriptionTitleCommentsAction date
57(2)Exemption to allow workStandard Exemptions HERITAGE ACT 1977

ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL

I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977:

revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and

grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A.

This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette.

Dated this 29th day of October 2025
The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC
Minister for Heritage

For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below. 		Nov 7 2025

PDF Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage ListingListing TitleListing NumberGazette DateGazette NumberGazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register 0170512 Nov 04 1798487
National Trust of Australia register  620905 Apr 76   
Register of the National Estate  21 Oct 80   

References, internet links & images

TypeAuthorYearTitleInternet Links
Written 2005Garden island dockyard : the ADI site facilities tour
Written 1976National Trust of Australia (NSW) Suburban Register
Written  Australian Dictionary of Biography
WrittenAttenbrow, Val2002Sydney's Aboriginal Past: investigating the archaeological and historical records
WrittenAustralian Heritage Council1980Register of the National Estate View detail
WrittenBarlass, Tim2020David Leach: 1928-2000: Naval Champion given hero's farewell
WrittenFrame, Tom1990The Garden Island
WrittenFrame, Tom R1990The Garden Island
WrittenGodden Mackay Logan2008Garden island rock engravings : archival recording
WrittenHorton, David (Ed)1994The Encyclopedia of Aboriginal Australia
WrittenLe Sueur, Angela2016Colonial Architects - part 2
WrittenMcBryde, Isabel1989Guests of the Governor: Aboriginal residents of the First Government House
WrittenPhillips, Peter (Ed)1996The Heritage Homes of the Australian Defence Force
WrittenPollon, Frances1996The Book of Sydney Suburbs
WrittenRandall, Colin2019The Naval Garden on Garden Island, Sydney
WrittenRead, Stuart2019Garden Island and surrounds - significant tree identification
WrittenRivett, Norman C1999The Barracks Building (Building 32), in Naval Historical Review V20, No. 2
WrittenSydney City Council2019Cartographica - Sydney on the Map
WrittenTaylor Brammer Landscape Architects Master Plan for Garden Island View detail
WrittenTurbet, Peter2001The Aborigines of the Sydney District before 1788, revised edition
Writtenunattributed, in the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate1927Garden Island Visit View detail
WrittenWorking Party for Garden Island Modernisation Project1979Report to the Minister for Planning and Environment from the Working Party
WrittenWroe, David, Defence Correspondent2013Rudd to abandon ship: PM will push for navy to leave Garden Island for Qld

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.
rez rez rez rez rez rez
rez rez rez rez rez rez
(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source

The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name: Heritage NSW
Database number: 5055190
File number: EF10/16076; H04/00051

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager.

All information and pictures on this page are the copyright of Heritage NSW or respective copyright owners.