Cockatoo Island – Sydney, Australia - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

Cockatoo Island

Sydney, Australia

Cockatoo Island is a Heritage-listed island in the middle of Sydney Harbour. 

View all photos
459
391
Top Places in Sydney
Royal Botanic Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Sydney, Australia
Mortuary Station
Sydney, Australia
'Forgotten Songs' Sound Sculpture
Sydney, Australia
 See All

Cockatoo island, the largest in Sydney Harbour, has been used as a prison (for those already transported to the Australian penal colony in the 19th century) and as a large shipyard, where Australian and other allied naval vessels were serviced during World War II. It operated as a shipyard until the 1990s.

Many of the old buildings are still standing, both from the convict era and the industrial period. These remaining old buildings give the feel of a hideout for a James Bond villain that you can explore with impunity.

The island is easily accessible by Sydney Ferries, and is in continuous use today as a venue for concerts and art exhibitions (including the Biennale of Sydney), and as a historical site. It is popular on New Year’s Eve as a place to watch the fireworks but tickets are hard to come by as they’re offered for sale 6 months in advance!

Onsite accommodation is available in pre-pitched tents, BYO camping equipment, or some of the remaining timber cottages with outstanding views of the harbor.

Know Before You Go

Take Sydney Ferries on the Woolwich/Balmain route (Opal Card required).

ghost towns islands
Nearby
Aboriginal Carving of a Whale
1.36 miles
Gore Hill Cemetery
1.93 miles
Sydney Observatory
2.09 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
The whale carving at Balls Head, Waverton.
Sydney, Australia

Aboriginal Carving of a Whale

An ancient engraving by the Cammeraygal people was uncovered in the transformation of a North Sydney industrial site.
Gore Hill Cemetery.
St Leonards, Australia

Gore Hill Cemetery

One of Sydney's oldest graveyards hides in plain sight behind a hospital.
Millers Point, Australia

Sydney Observatory

This historic observatory contains the world's oldest refracting lens telescope.
Wendy's Secret Garden.
Sydney, Australia

Wendy's Secret Garden

Built over an abandoned train yard, this hidden gem is full of winding paths and offers gorgeous views of Sydney Harbour.
Related Places
Malo Grablje, Croatia

Abandoned Village of Malo Grablje

This deserted town in the hills of Croatia’s "party island" may have a scandalous connection to King Henry VIII.
The bank on Failaka Island.
Zoor, Kuwait

Failaka Island

Wander among the ghostly ruins of an island where civilization flourished for thousands of years.
Nokubi Church
Ojika-chō, Japan

Nozaki Island

A deserted island in southwest Japan that once sheltered persecuted Christians.
The abandoned village on Hirta.
Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Hirta Island Ghost Town

The last inhabitants of one of the U.K.'s most remote islands were evacuated in 1930.
From Around the Web