Convict Precinct Tour - 27 April, 2019
Last Saturday Ken and I caught the ferry from
Circular Quay to
Cockatoo Island to join up with the
Convict Precinct tour at 12 noon. We caught the ferry at 11.07 am and arrived in plenty of time to walk up from the wharf to the
Convict Precinct area. It was a beautiful day, sunny but not too hot. The Island has had a long history, firstly with the Aboriginal people of the
Dharug and Cadigal tribes and then when the
Europeans arrived it became a
penal settlement and we saw the many sandstone buildings, built by the first convicts, as their prison. They lived under extremely harsh conditions and, whilst building their prison, they were locked in wooden boxes at night until the stone barracks were complete. The sandstone was quarried on the island and was the foundation upon which the
Convict Precinct was built.
Cockatoo Island sandstone was also used to construct buildings in
Sydney and other parts of the colony.
Here is a view of the Island as we approached in our ferry. Fifty years after the arrival of the
First Fleet overcrowding in prisons had become a problem and
Cockatoo Island was identified as the perfect location for a new gaol. It is surrounded by deep waters and ideal as a place for exile.
The first convicts arrived in 1839 and were put to work immediately building their own prison. They were hardened criminals and re-offenders and consisted of murderers, thieves, thugs and drunks. The convicts also built the
Military Guardhouse, granary silos, workshops, official residences and, from 1847 to 1857, the
Fitzroy Dock.
This is the back of the
Mess Hall (where the prisoners ate their meals and also attended a church service on Sundays). There is evidence here that
architectural design was implemented and not just convict construction.
This is the
Military Guardhouse, a garrison for
British Army 'redcoat' guards from which they could observe the prison block and, if necessary, fire their muskets through holes in the sandstone walls. (The roof to this building has now collapsed).
Looking through bars on a window in the
Guardhouse with a view across the water.
4 comments:
We went to Cockatoo Island a few years ago. I found it fascinating. At the time there were lots of sea gulls nesting on the slopes.
Yes, it is certainly a fascinating place. I just loved it. We want to go again and see more of the industrial heritage of the island.
Strange. Peaceful now, but what a history.
It is a beautiful place to visit, but it has had a very disturbing history.
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