Everything about Garden Island New South Wales totally explained
Garden Island is an inner-city locality of
Sydney, in the state of
New South Wales,
Australia. It is located to the north-east of the
Sydney central business district, north of the suburb of
Potts Point.
Garden Island is the site of
Fleet Base East of the
Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Situated above Garden Island on the Potts Point ridgeline is
HMAS Kuttabul, the RAN's administrative, training and logistics support establishment for the Sydney area, named after the converted ferry
HMAS Kuttabul which was sunk near Garden Island in
Sydney Harbour by a Japanese
midget submarine in May
1942. Garden Island is the principal east coast naval base of the RAN, and home port to many of the RAN's major ships.
The northern part of the area is open to the public and is accessible via
Sydney Ferries.
History
Garden Island is so-called because it was the colony's first food source when gardens were established on the island to feed the colony on January 27, 1788. Graffiti there by
First Fleeters is believed to be the oldest colonial graffiti in Australia. One carved
FM 1788, another wrote
IR 1788, while the third scrawled
WB 1788. It is believed that
FM was Frederick Meridith who served as steward to Captain John Marshall of
HMS Sirius and the other men from the Sirius who tended the gardens. Sandstone fortifications built on the island during the 1820s to protect Sydney from a much-feared Russian attack also survive. Garden Island also boasts what is claimed to be Australia's first lawn tennis court. Built in 1880, it's still in use, although the lawn was replaced in 1960.
Garden Island was opened to the public for the first time in decades in November
2002.
Geography
Garden Island was originally an island in
Sydney Harbour, but extension of the base and the construction of a
dry dock in the channel between the island and the mainland have resulted in its connection to the mainland shore at
Potts Point from the 1940s. The wharves of the naval base now stretch the length of the eastern side of
Woolloomooloo Bay, from the suburb of
Woolloomooloo to the end of the original island.
Tunnel system
There is a tunnel system under the Garden Island that was once used by the Royal Australian Navy. Within this tunnel system was a power station, offices and air raid shelters. This tunnel complex also had a command centre. Other tunnels also exist which headed further in towards Kings Cross.
The tunnels were used to move guns from one side of the island to the other. There are also older tunnels that were used to transport ammunition. The tunnels are now used for electrical wiring and communications.
The island also has a pit that was built in the 1800s and was used as a storage facility in case the island was ever attacked. The entrance to this pit has now been sealed.
Fortifications and military installations (Australia)
Further Information
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