Convict Precinct — Attraction in Sydney

The convict precinct (see also Barracks Block) was built over several years; the buildings beginning to be occupied from October 1841. Quarrying of grain silos (at the Underground Grain Silos and Biloela House) was one of the early convict activities. In order to service Royal Navy ships, the Fitzroy Dock was built on the island and completed in 1857. Cockatoo Island Dockyard became the major government dockyard in Australia.[1]

In 1869 prisoners were transferred from the island to Darlinghurst, and the prison buildings became an industrial school for girls and a reformatory from 1871. The dockyard area was now separated from this institutional area on the top of the island by a fence. Following the departure of the females in 1888, prisoners were again sent to the island, and the jail function continued until about 1909. Meanwhile, the dockyard function expanded, and the Sutherland Dock was built in 1890. The New South Wales Public Works Department declared Cockatoo the...

Cockatoo Island is an interesting place to spend half a day wandering around. Nice to have a picnic. You can camp overnight in the glamping tents, and use the microwave, fridge, BBQ plates and hot showers. Camping is better in cooler months, as inside of tent reaches 60 degrees in summer. Tent setup not conducive to romance as they have 2 single camp stretchers. Regular ferry service to Circular Quay until midnight via F8 ferry. Has 2 licenced cafes, but on Friday they close at 6:00pm and on Saturday they close at 9:00pm, so you're betting off spending the evening in the city and then going to the island...

Free entry and self tour with a free map. The $35 google mentions is a guided tour. It's worth a visit, but having realistic expectations will better your experience. This island has been a lot of things over the years. Buildings have been repurposed, there odd bit of buildings from different eras, and now offers camping. It feels disjointed, with nothing completely restored to its original purpose. Another thing to keep in mind is ferries are often at capacity and can't get people back to the mainland. If you have to be somewhere, allow...