Morning walk on Cockatoo Island

 

That morning, just as I was getting my breakfast on the table, Malcolm told me to get ready soon as we were going to catch a ferry to Cockatoo Island in about 30 minutes.

I was escorted by father and son on this
morning walk on Cockatoo Island

I looked at the time and there was barely enough time for me to drink my coffee and swallow my slice of buttered banana bread.

 

He was checking online for the ferry schedule and thought that we should aim to get to the wharf at Cabarita for the next ferry, if not then the next one. Whew!

 

I recalled a few weeks ago, while we were passing on a ferry into the city heading to Circular Quay, Malcolm pointed out Cockatoo Island to me. So in record time, we were out the door and into the car, heading to the parking lot at Cabarita.

 

A section of the Powerhouse;
See Malcolm dwarfed next to it

His son, Benjamin, was probably used to Malcolm’s very short notice to get up and go, so I was pleased that Ben was joining us on this weekend outing that will start with a morning walk on Cockatoo Island, followed by a trip to the city for lunch.

 

Malcolm reminded me to bring along a hat and echoed the same to Ben because the weather was turning out to be a blazing hot day.

 

While waiting for the ferry, I observed rowing teams undergoing training in the river. This was because I heard the muffled voice of their trainer yelling instructions to the crew as their racing boat glided across the water.

 

It was interesting that the Paramatta River and the many rivers that crisscross New South Wales support a wide range of sea sports from sailing to other water sports for fitness, recreation and competition.

 

The buildings are built into the sandstone

We boarded our ferry which brought us smoothly to Cockatoo Island in about 20 minutes. Malcolm, who is familiar with this destination, directed us to the Visitor Centre where I picked up a flyer with relevant info as well as a useful map.

 

From the information provided, I learnt that this island was known to First Nations people as Wareamah with a rich layered history as a First Nations meeting place.

 

Cockatoo Island has served multiple purposes including a convict prison, a reformatory and industrial school for girls (1871 – 1911) and a prominent shipyard that supported the Allied powers during both the World Wars.

 

A map on the flyer to guide us
on our morning walk

It is the largest island in Sydney Harbour, an 18-hectare UNESCO World Heritage-listed site known as a convict penal establishment (1939 – 1869) and a major industrial shipyard (1857 – 1992).

 

We walked pass the camp ground where tents were lined up for the adventurous to rent and relax under the stars. It was good to see many tents occupied by families with young children for the kids to have an outdoor experience, staying in a tent.

 

The remnant structures in the Convict Precinct on this island offers a window into a period when people were exiled to Australia and put to work on the colony’s building projects.

 

As I walked through the hollow heritage buildings, I wondered – “if these walls could speak, what tales they would tell!”

 

An opening into a tunnel
built into the sandstone hills

In Johor Bahru, our historic prison built in 1883, has been repurposed by young people as a hip destination into a playground for art, culture and heritage. When this prison was defunct, it was opened briefly as a museum and I documented my visit experience in a heritage story in, A peek into the Johor Bahru jail, published in my book, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now.

 

My most unforgettable experience in visiting a former penal establishment must be to the infamous (now demolished) Pudu Jail in Kuala Lumpur that was built in phases by the British government in 1891 and 1895.

 

Horror stories abound about Pudu Jail as it was considered one of the nation’s most haunted sites, built on a cemetery and the site of countless deaths due to a cholera outbreak in 1895, the Japanese Occupation and many executions.

 

"...if these walls could speak..."

[This jail was officially closed in 1996 and was opened as a prison museum briefly in 1997. Demolition began in 2009 and by 2012, only its main gate and a small part of its wall remain as a legacy of this infamous jail.]

 

With the morning sunshine beating down on us, we continued with our round-the-island walk to explore the old buildings and dockyards, lingering at various spots to read the information plaques.

 

Surrounded by deep water, Cockatoo Island – then a convict jail – was deemed ideal for maritime activities and that the island’s convicts could be employed in the construction of a dry dock.

Construction of the dry dock commenced in 1848 and was not completed until 1857 as the convict labourers were unruly and poorly treated. In 1854, midway through construction, it was christened Fitzroy Dock.

 

Outer wall of the Steam Workshop

Construction began on a second dock in 1882 to enable the island to accommodate larger naval and merchant ships. Christened Sutherland Dock and completed in 1889, the shipbuilding and repair activities on Cockatoo Island grew steadily from then on.

 

With this part of our morning walk done, Malcolm – who was checking the ferry schedule – let out a yell and said, “Five minutes!” and walked briskly towards the wharf.

 

Ben and I took off after him as he continued the countdown, “Four,” followed by, “Three,” meaning the ferry was about to arrive, so let’s hurry up!

 

Safely on board the ferry, we headed to Circular Quay to continue our morning walk in the city. [Note: It was not just a walk but more like a climb!]

 

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