Fort Denison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Denison
Mattewanye (Dharuk)
Fort Denison pre-1885. (Image: National Archives of Australia)
Former names	Pinchgut
Etymology	Sir William Thomas Denison
General information
Status	Built as a fortress. Decommissioned circa 1930s. Now used as a national park; reserve; tourist facility; function space
Type	Military fortress; gunnery
Architectural style	Colonial fortification, castellated style
Location	Sydney Harbour
Address	North of Woolloomooloo
Construction started	1841
Completed	14 November 1857 (1857-11-14)
Closed	circa 1930s
Height
Observatory	Martello tower
Technical details
Material	Sydney sandstone
Fort Denison with its Martello tower
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Location	Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour National Park
Nearest city	Sydney
Operator	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name: Fort Denison; Pinchgut; Mattewanye (Eora name)
Type:	State heritage (built)
Designated:	2 April 1999
Reference #:	985
Type:	Fortification
Category:	Defence
Builders:	William Randle
Register of the National Estate
Official name: Fort Denison, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Designated:	21 March 1978
Reference #:	1856

Fort Denison is a small island in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. It's part of the Sydney Harbour National Park. This island is a special heritage-listed site that used to be a place for convicts and later a military fort.

You can find Fort Denison about 1 kilometer east of the Sydney Opera House. The local Eora people called the island Mattewanye or Muddawahnyuh. It was also known as Pinchgut Island. Today, it's a national park, a tourist spot, and a place for events. It also has a special gun that fires every day and tools to measure tides.

History of Fort Denison

Before Europeans arrived, the island was known as Mat-te-wan-ye by the Eora people.

From Rock Island to Pinchgut Prison

When the First Fleet arrived in 1788, Governor Phillip called it Rock Island. Later that year, a convict named Thomas Hill was sent there for a week. He was given only bread and water, and was kept in chains. Because of this, the island became known as Pinchgut.

The island was once about 15 meters tall. Convicts, working under Captain George Barney, cut down the sandstone from the island. This sandstone was then used to build parts of nearby Circular Quay.

Building a Military Fortress

Fort Denison
Fort Denison pre-1885. (Image: National Archives of Australia)
Former names	Pinchgut
Etymology	Sir William Thomas Denison
General information
Status	Built as a fortress. Decommissioned circa 1930s. Now used as a national park; reserve; tourist facility; function space
Type	Military fortress; gunnery
Architectural style	Colonial fortification, castellated style
Location	Sydney Harbour
Address	North of Woolloomooloo
Construction started	1841
Completed	14 November 1857 (1857-11-14)
Closed	circa 1930s
Height
Observatory	Martello tower
Technical details
Material	Sydney sandstone
Designations	Register of the National Estate (21 March 1978)

In 1839, two American warships sailed into Sydney Harbour at night. This made the government worried about attacks. Captain George Barney suggested building a fort on Pinchgut Island to protect the harbour.

Building the fort started in 1841 but stopped. Work began again in 1855 because people feared a Russian naval attack during the Crimean War. The fort was finished on November 14, 1857. It was then named Fort Denison after Sir William Thomas Denison, who was the Governor of New South Wales at the time.

The fort has a unique Martello tower, which is a round defensive tower. It's the only one ever built in Australia and the last one built in the British Empire. The tower was made from 8,000 tons of sandstone from nearby Kurraba Point. Its walls are very thick, from 3.3 to 6.7 meters at the bottom.

Even though the fort was strong, new artillery technology made it less useful by the time it was finished. The tower could house 24 soldiers and one officer. Fort Denison had several guns, including three large cannons inside the tower. These cannons were hard to use because the openings were too small, and their recoil was too strong for the room.

In 1906, a special gun for firing salutes was moved to Fort Denison. In 1913, a lighthouse beacon was placed on top of the tower, replacing one of the large guns. This light, called Fort Denison Light, is still used today.

In May 1942, during World War II, three Japanese mini-submarines attacked Sydney Harbour. When a US Navy ship fired at them, some shells accidentally hit Fort Denison. The tower got minor damage, which you can still see.

Fort Denison Today

Restoration and Current Use

Since 1992, the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service has spent about A$2 million to fix up and improve the fort. They also got help from EnergyAustralia. More work was done between 1999 and 2001, which won awards for preserving the site.

Today, Fort Denison is a museum and a popular tourist spot. It also has a restaurant and is used for weddings and other events. You can take a ferry from Circular Quay to visit the island. The ferry ticket includes a landing fee. You can also take guided tours of the island and the Martello tower for an extra cost.

The lighthouse beacon was fixed in 2004 and still helps ships navigate the harbour. The Bureau of Meteorology also uses the island to measure weather and tides.

The One O'Clock Gun

A tradition of firing a gun every day at 1 PM started in 1906. This helped sailors set their clocks correctly. The daily gun stopped during World War II because people worried it might cause alarm. But it started again in 1986 and continues today.

Restaurant on the Island

The Fort Denison Restaurant opened in 2006. It has been named one of the top waterfront restaurants in the world by The Sydney Morning Herald. It used to be open for lunch every day and dinner on Sundays. It was also a very popular place for special events like New Year's Eve.

Fort Denison in Popular Culture

Fort Denison has appeared in movies and TV shows. It was the setting for the 1959 film The Siege of Pinchgut. The island also appeared in the children's TV show Mission Top Secret and the series Water Rats.

What Fort Denison Looks Like

Fort Denison is in a very famous part of Sydney Harbour. It's near the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Royal Botanic Garden. Even though it's an island, many people see it more as a building because of the fort.

From far away, you might not see that it was once a rocky island. But if you look closely, especially at low tide, you can still see some of the original sandstone rock.

The fort has two main parts:

• The Martello Tower: This is the tall, round part of the fort. It has two levels inside. The bottom level stored gunpowder and supplies. The middle level still has the three original cannons. A spiral staircase connects the levels.
• The Battery and Barracks: These are the lower, longer buildings. The battery faced the harbour to defend against ships. It has openings for nine guns. The barracks were where soldiers lived. They have eight chimneys and rooms for soldiers and officers.

A ditch and a breakwater made of sandstone blocks surround the fort. These help protect the fort from waves.

Condition and Changes

Fort Denison is in excellent condition today. It has been changed over the years:

• 1840–1842: First part of the battery was built.
• 1856–1858: The main battery, barracks, tower, and bastion were built.
• 1858–1862: The terrace, west room, and tide gauge room were added.
• 1917: A slipway was built.

Tide Gauge

Tides have been measured at Fort Denison since 1857. At first, they used a mark cut into the tower's stone. Since 1867, new instruments have been used as technology improved. The Bureau of Meteorology still uses Fort Denison for tide measurements.

The photos below show old and new tide measuring tools. The old system used a float in a large pipe. This system is now a museum exhibit. The measurements from Fort Denison are very important. They are the main reference for all published tide information in New South Wales.

Gallery of Guns