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Cockatoo Island

Primary Programs

Primary programs on Cockatoo Island encourage students to engage with the island's rich and dramatic past as a convict prison, reform school and ship-building dockyard. Learning programs are inquiry-based and involve hands-on activities, historic film footage and stories of the island's remarkable history and colourful characters.

Our programs

Cockatoo Island: Convict Times

Discover what life was like in one of the most notorious convict prisons in colonial Australia. Examine the consequences of the colonisation of the island for the Eora, the Aboriginal people of Sydney, and the natural environment of Cockatoo. Explore the island's World Heritage listed convict sites to discover the grim reality of life on the island for the convicts and their keepers.

Cost: $16 per student incl GST
Unit: British Colonisation of Australia - Stage 2, HSIE
Outcomes: CCS2.1 and ENS2.6
Download the Convict Times Excursion Information [PDF - 276 KB]
Primary Students at Outpost Project 2011 Primary Students at Outpost Project 2011 Primary Students at Outpost Project 2011 Primary Programs Convicts for the Day

Photo Title Description

Cockatoo: Then, Now and Tomorrow

Explore Cockatoo Island's diverse natural and built features, and consider its significance as a heritage site while discovering the stories of the historic convict prison and ship-building dockyard. Students identify how the environment of the island has transformed over time and how changing uses of the island reflect community customs and values.

Cost: $16 per student incl GST
Unit: Places - Then, Now and Tomorrow - Stage 2, HSIE
Outcomes: CCS2.2 and CCS2.1
Download the Then, Now and Tomorrow Excursion Information [PDF - 276KB]

Cockatoo Island: You're Standing in It!

Investigate the natural, heritage and built features that make Cockatoo Island such a unique urban park. Discover the diverse history of the island and evaluate the significance and value of the island to the community. Students also learn about the role of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust in managing and caring for the island and imagine new ways for visitors to experience the island in the future.

Cost: $16 per student incl GST
Units: Australia - You're Standing in It and State and National Parks – Stage 2, HSIE State and National Parks - Stage 2, HSIE
Outcomes: ENS2.5 and ENS2.6
Download the You're Standing In It Student Resource Sheet [PDF - 457 KB]