Heritage
Cockatoo Island's connection to Australia's convict past, and its remarkable history make it a significant heritage place. Rich layers of evidence, surviving historic buildings and rare industrial remnants showcase two centuries of changing use as a prison, shipbuilding facility and dockyard.
Why is Cockatoo Island special?
Cockatoo Island is recognised as being a significant heritage place for the people of NSW and Australia. It tells the story of the country's development from a penal settlement to a maritime industrial nation. It is important to us because it:
- operated as a convict gaol (1839 -1869)
- became a reformatory and industrial school for girls, a recreation area for boys from the training ships, Vernon and Sobraon, and then reverted to a gaol again (1888-1908)
- developed as a dock and shipbuilding yard (1847 -1992)
Evidence from all these periods still remains on the island to tell this remarkable story.
Heritage Listings
Cockatoo's significance to the people of Australia is recognised by listing of the island on:
Cockatoo Island is also being submitted to UNESCO for consideration on the World Heritage List, as part of a nomination of 11 historic convict sites across NSW, Tasmania and Norfolk Island.
What does heritage listing mean?
Listing on the National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heritage List means that Cockatoo Island will be cared for and managed so that future generations will be able to experience and understand this special place. Any changes or significant impacts to the site must be approved by the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.
As custodian of Cockatoo Island, the Harbour Trust is conserving significant buildings and structures, adaptively re-using historic buildings and interpreting the island's remarkable history. Our work is guided by The Comprehensive Plan.
