A Critical Review of Cockatoo Island's History and Significance

This report presents a comprehensive critical review of Cockatoo Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Sydney Harbour, Australia. The report begins by describing the island's location and accessibility, including a map for reference. It then delves into the historical significance of Cockatoo Island, tracing its evolution from a gathering place for the Eora People to its use during the convict era, as an industrial institute, and finally as a shipyard for the Royal Australian Navy. The report highlights the island's importance to Australia's maritime services and its role in the development of trade unions. Furthermore, the report assesses the importance of preserving Cockatoo Island, emphasizing its value for tourism, camping, and events. It also discusses the current uses of the island, including its role in hosting cultural events like the Biennale of Sydney and comedy festivals. The report concludes with recommendations for the future development of Cockatoo Island, including improved tourist access and the preservation of its historical and Aboriginal heritage. The report also references wheelchair accessibility and the importance of maintaining access for school excursions.

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Introduction
Location of Cockatoo Island
Cockatoo Island has been known as the chief island in Sydney Harbour that has been
situated at the intersection of the Parramatta and Lane Cove River in New South Wales,
Australia. It is recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been extended to 17.9
hectares through extensive mining (Mrđa, Howitt & Šćitaroci, 2017).
To reach Cockatoo Island tourists must catch public ship that is the calmest mode to visit
the island. Harbour City Transports primarily operates consistent services to Cockatoo Island on
a daily basis of the week, passing from Circular Quay, Darling Harbour as well as Barangaroo,
also from wharves along the F3 Parramatta River ferry route.

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Map of Cockatoo Island
Source: Casagrande, M. (2016)
Discussion
Historical significance of Cockatoo Island
The Cockatoo Island had been developed for administrative purposes and currently has
the capacity to accommodate a wide range of industrial buildings along with concrete placemats
from devastated constructions, derricks, parched docks and waterfront related structures.
As per reports, Cockatoo Island has maintained robust association with the First Nations by
serving the island as a place of gathering for the Eora People earlier to colonisation (Milner,
2015). There has been found several insights related to the Aboriginal inhabitation on the
adjoining and opposite shores of Cockatoo Island. Before the European Settlement, the Euro had
travelled to the island and utilized this island for fishing, hunting purposes and organizing
ceremonial functions for women. During the Convict era of 1839, Cockatoo Island was used for
convict transportation and involuntary labour. Furthermore, during the period of 1871 to 1880,
Cockatoo Island was used as site for industrial institute and reformatory for girls. Cockatoo
Island during the maritime era of 1857 to 1913 played a significant role in the nation’s maritime
services, which later served as an official shipyard of the Royal Australian Navy. During the
1990s, the development of trade unions in Australia happened principally owing to the workers
residing at the Cockatoo Island (Mioduszewska et al., 2019). However, in recent times, the
UNESCO declared Cockatoo Island as World Heritage Island and has been primarily maintained
by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust since 2001.

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Importance to preserve Cockatoo Island
Cockatoo Island has been available for the public since 2005 and has been used for
various uses which have been reinterpreting the inheritance of the island. Since, Cockatoo Island
has been still used for holiday accommodation purposes, camping, tourism and events, sport and
recreation as well as a site for temporary installations for the Sydney Biennale and other
temporary occasions, it is highly imperative to preserve the Island for public use (Prawiradilaga,
2019).
Cockatoo Island is not positioned within any Local Government Area (LGA).
Nevertheless, it comprises of an understandable linked to the adjacent LGAs of
Leichhardt, Canada Bay as well as Hunters Hill. Majority of the zones have been zoned for
inhabited determinations and these regions are labelled in Section 12 – Background Material, of
the Trust’s Comprehensive Plan. Moreover, the State Government primarily has arranged the
Sharing Sydney Harbour Access Plan (SSHAP). This strategy recognizes a system of different
as well as upgraded public entrance conducts for pedestrians and cyclists along with watercourse
amenities for recreational watercraft. Cockatoo Island has been attained by the Sydney Harbour
Federation Trust (SHFT) recognized self-funding agency recognized by the help of Federal
Government in order to safeguard the inheritance and maximise public contact to former defence
as well as Commonwealth sites around Sydney Harbour (Carson & Pennings, 2017).
Current use of Cockatoo Island
As per reports, in 2005 the Harbour Trust in association with an event agency has
organized the Cockatoo Island Festival. This cultural event has been cited on the cultural map of
Sydney and started an array of ethnic and cultural activities which incorporated modern art
connections, art exhibitions along with festivals. Furthermore, in 2010, the Cockatoo Island has

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been used for hosting the 17th Biennale of Sydney. According to authors, in this art festival
around 120 works done by over 56 artists have been exhibited and magnetized about 157,000
people. Furthermore, Cockatoo Island in recent times have been restructured to develop as a
landmark harbour attraction with the restoration of nautical activities, explanation of rich
colonial as well as industrial legacy in addition to the creation of parklands and places to
organize cultural events (Ball, Moro & Bryant, 2018). In addition to this, Cockatoo Island in
2009 has been used for organizing comedy festival which continued for two days and gathered
more than 8000 people. According to reports of authors, Cockatoo Island has been used to
organize art installation event by renowned Swiss artist, Urs Fischer in association with Kaldor
Public Art Projects. Cockatoo Island has also been distinguished as an important venue for
Sydney Festival.
Recommendations for Cockatoo Development
Number of studies has recommended that sightseer admission to the Cockatoo Island can
be by traveller ship or private ferry. There has been witnessed a significant number of current
passenger ferry facilities which could be preoccupied in order to halt at the island in order to
meet the increasing influx of tourists in the Island (Casagrande, 2016). Moreover, as per the
Sydney Regional Environmental Plan (SREP) the number of openly available vantage points for
observing Sydney Harbour must be greater than before. Furthermore, access for tourists along
with beach land must be improved on land utilized for business or marketable nautical
resolutions where these type of admission does not restrict with the use of the land for such kind
of resolutions. However, the utilization of shore terrestrial nearby the land used for business or
profitable maritime determinations must get aligned with those determinations. Studies have
suggested that Sydney Harbour in addition to its islands in addition to foreshores must be

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properly recognised and protected as spaces of outstanding legacy importance. However, most
importantly, important yard goods, backgrounds, remnants and interpretations connected to the
heritage implication of heritage substances must be kept for conservation along with efficient
protection and management of archaeological locations and places of Aboriginal inheritance
implication must be taken into account (Ms & Emma, 2016).
Areas of Enjoyment
Cockatoo Island comprises of atmospheric landmarks which includes convict workshops
and gaol such as Dog Leg Tunnel and Biloela landmarks which will blend the legacy and history
of Australia in order to captivate the imagination of tourists.
Most areas of the island have availability for wheelchairs. However, NSW government must
restructure the steep incline areas of the lower island to the upper plateau and owing to the
island’s industrial heritage (Masters, 2016). Also, particularly for school excursions, the
Cockatoo Island Development Plan must focus on maintaining proper accessibility for
wheelchairs and tourist guides.

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