It had been years since I last visited Cockatoo Island and that first visit coincided then as it does now; with the former shipbuilding site in Sydney Harbour hosting large scale art installations for the Sydney Biennial. My first trip was not particularly memorable. At least, the memories are of a very hot day, blasting sun, a vast 'apron' of concrete to be traversed, and a crush of people too. The art at the time; did not leave an impression, though the massive old ship building machinery did; a giant lathe, industrial steam hammers or whatever they were; they looked impressive, but were not so accessible. That was my first visit and I really had no idea where I should go and what I should see. If only there had been a virtual tour to guide me around the island before I went - so I knew what to look out for - something like a really useful map, a virtual map with pictures.. So I've made one myself.
Fast forward to 2020; a year no one will ever forget, the year where doing nothing is helping flatten the curve. Fortunately in Sydney; we seemed to have 'done nothing' well and have stayed ahead of the worst issues, thank you to all the people getting it right! This means I was able to mask up; and take the ferry from Wharf F at Barangaroo out to Cockatoo Island. I was inspired by a friend who had journeyed there just days before; and pictures I had repeatedly seen, everywhere, of the huge art installation in the machinery hall. It was a mild and sunny winters day as I set out across the harbour with no particular expectations; other than to grab a few Hi-Fidelity 360° shots; and maybe add a harbour swimming pool; to my personal project of Sydney Ocean Pools and Harbour Baths. I had read that one of the slipways had at one time been used as a 'swimming pool' and was keen to see that too, for myself.
This is how I remember it from my first time, a vast barren expanse though without so many seagulls putting their chip stealing eyes on me as I make toward the machinery hall. True there is a colonial sandstone building that has been patch-worked into the structures ahead; and behind it the pointy pinnacle of a cranes' skyward pointing boom. But it does not look an enticing destination. Well it was a navel shipyard so one would expect that function, not decoration was the design rational for such a place. An assumption I discovered as I made my way around the island this time; to be completely wrong, at least if you find your way to the right parts.
Having made the decision to photograph the industrial heritage of the island and not focus on the contemporary art curation of the spaces. Instead of slipping through the doors of the massive machinery building to view the artworks, I took the roadway between the workshops toward the large crane. Now I was seeing wide open old industrial spaces for the first time as I worked my way clockwise around the island. My first 360° panorama photograph was midway along the Eastern Apron, the picture features a banner artwork high up on the cliff walk. Next location I was being dive bombed by a squadron of seagulls defending their nests close to the tall crane pictured above. I had to back up 10 meters to avoid the persistent swooping, to be able to get my shot; and I was very glad to have a tripod to wave around above my head until things settled down. It seems the whole island is rookery during August and wherever there is a niche there is a nest; in the less travelled parts the seagulls are much more aggressive. Beware!
Having survived a sustained Hitchcock-like attack of 'The Birds' dive bombing and circling while I made my pictures, I continued around the perimeter, happy for the company of other visitors along the path; there's safety in numbers after all; even if just a few.
Next was the Fitzroy Graving Dock begun by convicts over six years and completed in 1857; used for "laying down ships and repairs". There are three smaller cranes here and a late 20C brick and concrete building, I was fascinated by what I took at a distance to be a submarine's conning tower up the far end of the dock only to realise as I drew closer that it was the 'gate' to the dry dock, safely secured well back from the harbour entrance.
There are two dry docks on this the southern apron of the island, two watery fingers slicing into the land at an acute angle looking as if they wish to join up into a single canal of their own.. if such a thing were possible. Here on the southern apron there are also modern marinas and an older jetty that would make a much more interesting arrival point. Looking around I can't believe I have not been here and seen these cranes and docks before; it is such a simple thing to get here. I'm fascinated by the machinery, the history and textures of the place. And I'm not yet half way around!
Continuing along on the pathway under the south cliff face I make my way to the pointy end of the island. A power station and a roofless concrete enclosure with a tiny low doorway, no door, and decide to squeeze through for a look. I found myself in an irregular shaped room with walls about 8 feet high, walls of concrete (the dome of Parthenon in Rome circa AD 26 is made of concrete..). Now with only the view of the off white walls and sky above, just hints of what lay beyond, some ship masts, the façade of the 1918 brick power house with its arched windows and matching round chimney. I felt I was in a curiously magical space - or at least a location where I could create some pictorial magic at the very least. I make a mental note and several 360° panoramas! It seems I was inside the old rope and sling store, and at one time the coal store; and at another, quite possibly the islands sewage plant. Phew! Though obviously not all uses were at the same time. I liked this completely unexpected odd shaped box.
So I had reached the end of the island (it's the biggest in the Harbour - but it's not that big) and right smack bang, adjacent to the power station are Slipways 1 & 2. These are two parallel channels with ramps at each end. More of a pull the boat out of the water, than the close it off and drain it, big bathtub concept of the other two dry docks. I was pleased to see a net, a shark net maybe? Across the the wet end of slipway 1; and a sign saying 'no swimming', and some life buoys at intervals along the fence line. That confirming to my mind at least, that this was indeed, another of Sydney's harbour pools, if not exactly 'open' right now. As on the stepped sides of the Fitzroy Dock, Slipway 1 also had plenty of Seagull activity, though these ones happily content to leave me well alone.
If you had been trying to take in all the art as well as the Industrial heritage, I think that by now you would be getting a little fatigued. So my recommendation is to look at the buildings - or look at art; because there is still a lot of island to see. You could simply walk back from here along the roadway past the camping site to the ferry - yes there is a 'camping hotel' here on the 'northern apron'. Or you can make your way up the switch back roadway to the 'Upper Island' the plateau. Now I had been up to the upper island once before, as far as a heavily peopled grassy patch of ground, and most likely art fatigued coupled with heat exhaustion went no further. And that as far as I remember was that. So essentially the whole of the Upper Island was left as an unexplored place and I was quite surprised to discover how much I had missed out on. It is up on the upper island; with it's mixture of extant convict buildings, mid 20th century multi-storied workshops and Colonial and Federation houses that another face of Cockatoo Island emerges. It's up on the plateau that the extreme harshness of the concrete aprons contrast against classic Australian architecture, gardens and lawns, and a tennis court with perhaps the cities best on-court view of Sydney Harbour. None of which I was really expecting to see in the richness I found; even after having perused Google maps and it's contributor-content pictures of the place. Cockatoo Island is a fine place to spend a day, there is a lot to discover and I will certainly be back.
You can see my complete 360° Cockatoo Island 'Industrial' Tour by clicking here.
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