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You are here: Home / Naval Heritage Sites / Garden Island NSW / 1857 – 1899

Garden Island NSW1857 – 1899

· Aug 14, 2017 ·

The Senior Commander of the new Station had three buildings constructed near the original garden area.   These were a Boatshed, a Blacksmith’s shop and a residence to a Petty Officer to maintain security.    The growing population led the Admiralty to later add the Australian Squadron to the Station, with three ships always on patrol and two ships always based at Garden Island in case of emergency.

Garden Island 1877

The expanded station required more support facilities, so the decision was taken to establish a full naval depot on the island.   Plans were drawn up to cover the whole island including the northern hill, but due to government changes and the coming of steam, nothing further action was taken for around 20 years.

GI Site Plan

When construction started, two semi-detached cottages were built on the northern hill to house the supervisors in charge of demolishing the southern hill.  Those cottages are still in use today.

Supervisors cottage 1885

The first new depot building was the Rigging House in 1887, containing the Sail Loft and the Rigging Shed.   However, steam was rapidly replacing sail, so neither of these two areas were actually used for their designed purpose

Rigging House 1873

The second new building was the Barracks, sometimes mistakenly called the Marine Barracks.   It was a colonial Georgian style building to house both sailors and Marines, together with a 13 bed hospital on the top floor.   The demands of Sydney summers quickly led to verandahs being added io three sides in 1892, together with an external staircase was added at the northern end for the sole use by officers.

Barracks colour

The building was for sleeping and eating only – it had no toilets, bathrooms or kitchen   These were housed in an annex at the rear of the building.   This contained the toilets and washrooms in the northern half, and the kitchen or galley in the southern half.  The external northern wall later held cages for the rabbits and mice used for medical diagnostic testing for diseases such as Cholera, smallpox and the like.

Barracks Kitchen Bathrooms

As they did on board ship, the sailors and marines in the Barracks ate and slept in groups or messes.   Hammocks were slung at night, then lashed up and stowed each morning.  Collapsible tables and benches were then put up for meals.   Each mess chose a man to go to the galley at mealtimes to collect the food for his messmates.

Hammocks in the Barracks

Several other buildings came ito use before 1900, such as the Naval Store, the Administration Building and the residences.    Full details as to these and other constructions can be visited through the Society’s Garden Island Heritage Tour DVD – see the Shop for details.

Naval Store with extension

Duplexes on Northern Hill

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Garden Island NSW

  • 1788 – 1856
  • 1857 – 1899
  • 1900 – 1939
  • 1940 – Today

Additional reading for Garden Island

  • Throwing a Party: The Naval Ball of 1899
  • A Tribute to Norman Rivett
  • Trouble with the Neighbours
  • The HMAS Parramatta Memorials
  • Kings Cross in World War II
  • Occasional Paper 70: The Ship’s Garden – GARDEN ISLAND
  • Occasional Paper 69: The Naval Garden on Garden Island, Sydney
  • Harry’s Café de Wheels
  • Letter: Villers Bretonneux Museum - Garden Island Dockyard crest
  • Garden Island Rangefinding
  • Ready to Serve
  • Naval Fuel Oil
  • Weather Signals
  • Our First Gardeners
  • Letter: The Hammerhead Lives
  • Peter Hibbs Remembered
  • Tales from the Dockyard - Lawrence Beare Westaway
  • Letter: The Hammerhead Crane
  • HMS Penguin (VII) and her 64 Pounder Gun
  • The Hammerhead Crane
  • Memories of a Garden Island Patternmaker
  • General Managers of Garden Island Dockyard
  • Garden Island and Cruise Ships
  • Letter: Garden Island Chapel
  • Tales from the Dockyard: The Silver Docket
  • Tales from the Dockyard: Dan Craig's Medal
  • Tales from the Dockyard: ‘Ingenuity Rules’
  • Periscope Repair - Defects by Fin, Friend, and Feather
  • Edward Albert Amphlett - Paymaster RN
  • Portuguese Carronades - 16th Century Explorers to Australia?
  • Garden Island - The Barracks Building
  • History of the "Consuela" Figurehead at Garden Island
  • Garden Island Rock Carvings - The Forgotten Men
  • FFG5 Builds in Two Dockyards 600 Miles Apart
  • The Chequered Career of HMAS Penguin
  • Garden Island Dockyard 1943-46
  • The RAN in Antarctic Waters
  • The Tower Building at Garden Island
View more links

World & National Heritage Sites

  • Cockatoo Island
  • HMAS Sydney II and the HSK Kormoran Shipwreck Sites
  • HMVS Cerberus

Commonwealth Heritage Sites

  • Chowder Bay Naval Facilities
  • Royal Australian Naval Transmitting Station ACT
  • Royal Australian Naval College ACT
  • Garden Island WA
  • Naval Offices QLD
  • HMAS Cerberus
  • Admiralty House, Garden and Fortifications
  • Beecroft Peninsula NSW
  • Spectacle Island Explosives Complex NSW
  • HMAS Penguin
  • HMAS Watson

The NHSA acknowledges support provided by the Australian Department of Environment and Energy which made these pages possible.
Greater detail on building history, the natural and Indigenous significance to these sites is available by accessing the National Heritage List.

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