Goat Island (Port Jackson) facts for kids
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Native name:
Memel; Me-Mel
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Goat Island, viewed from Balls Head
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 Goat Island
Location in Sydney
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| Geography | |
| Location | Port Jackson |
| Coordinates | 33°51′08″S 151°11′48″E / 33.8521°S 151.1966°E |
| Area | 5.4 ha (13 acres) |
| Length | 180 m (590 ft) |
| Width | 300 m (1,000 ft) |
| Administration | |
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Australia
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| Demographics | |
| Population | 5 |
| Goat Island | |
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| Location | Port Jackson, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1826–1994 |
| Architect | Edmund Blacket; Alexander Dawson (Colonial Magazine) |
| Owner | NSW Office of Environment and Heritage |
| Official name: Goat Island; Me-Mel (the eye) | |
| Type | State heritage (landscape) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 989 |
| Type | Other - Landscape - Cultural |
| Category | Landscape - Cultural |
Goat Island is a special island in Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia. It is listed as a heritage site because of its long and interesting history. The island is about 300 meters wide and 180 meters long. It covers an area of 5.4 hectares (about 13 acres). Goat Island is located near the suburbs of Balmain and Millers Point. It sits where Darling Harbour meets the main part of Sydney Harbour.
Over the years, Goat Island has been used for many different things. It was once a place to store gunpowder and a shipyard. It also served as a police station, a fire station, and even a film set! Today, the island is part of the Sydney Harbour National Park. The buildings on the island were designed by famous architects like Edmund Blacket and Alexander Dawson. They were built between 1826 and 1994. The island is also known by its Aboriginal names, Memel or Me-Mel, which means "the eye." The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage owns the island. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
Contents
Island History and Uses
First Peoples of Goat Island
The Aboriginal people of Port Jackson, called the Eora, knew Goat Island as Memel or Me-Mel. This name means "the eye" in the Dharug language. Captain David Collins wrote that Bennelong, an important Eora elder, said the island belonged to his family. Bennelong was very fond of Memel and often visited with his wife, Barangaroo.
The island was easy to reach by canoe from the mainland. Aboriginal people used it often. It is also believed to be the birthplace of Bennelong. He played a key role in talking between the English settlers and the Aboriginal communities.
Early European Settlement
Some old maps of Sydney Harbour can be a bit confusing. They sometimes showed Goat Island as "Cockatoo Island." The island we now call Cockatoo Island was sometimes called "Banks Island." But by the late 1820s, the names became fixed as they are today.
In 1831, Goat Island was first used as a quarry. This meant workers dug out sandstone from the island. This caused arguments between the local government and the military. The military thought the island was important for defense. So, the quarrying soon stopped.
Gunpowder Storage on the Island
By the early 1830s, Sydney needed a safe place to store large amounts of gunpowder. Governor Bourke decided to build a gunpowder storage area, called a magazine, on Goat Island. It was a good choice because it was:
- Easy to reach by large ships.
- Far from the main town, making it safer.
- Easy to protect.
In 1833, groups of convicts started working on the island. They quarried stone and leveled the ground. The main powder magazine was finished by January 1839. It was a strong, stone building designed to be bomb-proof. During this time, a convict named Charles Anderson was said to have been chained to a rock for two years. You can still see a stone couch with places for chains, which was supposedly his shelter.
More buildings were added, including a cooperage (for making barrels), barracks for soldiers, and a wharf. Most of these buildings are still there today.
Water Police and Explosives
In 1835, it was suggested that the water police move to Goat Island. This happened in 1837. A ditch was cut across a small part of the island. This separated the police area from the military magazine. You can still see this "cut" today.
By 1847, the main magazine, known as the Queen's Magazine, was full. It stored gunpowder for both the British government and private businesses. A new, lighter building was constructed in 1854 to store civilian explosives. In 1864, the police station became a laboratory for making cartridges. The water police moved to Kirribilli.
New, more powerful explosives like dynamite were developed. By the 1870s, more magazines were built on the east side of the island for these new materials. Safety concerns grew, especially after a small explosion in Sydney in 1866. By 1900, all explosives were removed from Goat Island.
Later Uses and Changes
In 1901, Goat Island became a depot for the Sydney Harbour Trust. This group was in charge of maintaining Sydney Harbour. The island became a base for their tugboats, dredgers, and other boats. They built:
- Wharves and docking areas.
- A coal storage area.
- Four cottages for married fireboat crew members.
- A barracks for unmarried crew.
- A harbour master's house.
Between 1925 and 1931, the island was turned into a shipyard. This was for repairing the Trust's vessels. They built four slipways (ramps for launching or repairing boats). The old Colonial Magazine became a workshop for shipwrights (boat builders). The Queen's Magazine was used as a general store.
The Sydney Harbour Trust was replaced by the Maritime Services Board in 1936. Goat Island became home to the Board's Fire Brigade during World War II. Plans were made for a community hall and even shark-proof swimming baths. Tennis courts were also built.
Recent History and Future Plans
After World War II, more wharves, storage, and shipyard facilities were built. The island was also a popular place for social events like tennis and dances.
In 1995, the Maritime Services Board gave control of the island to the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS). Goat Island then became part of Sydney Harbour National Park. Today, the NPWS has an office on the island.
In 2016, the government announced plans to return the island to Aboriginal ownership. Premier Mike Baird said Goat Island was very important to Aboriginal culture. The government wants Aboriginal people to lead its management. In May 2022, the NSW Government said Goat Island would be returned to Aboriginal ownership within four years. Before that, $42 million will be spent to fix up the island. This includes repairs to seawalls and buildings, and upgrades to the wharf and services.
Island Features and Condition
Goat Island is a noticeable island in Sydney Harbour. It is located west of the Harbour Bridge, between McMahons Point and Balmain. There isn't much natural plant life on the island.
Current Condition of Buildings
By 2000, the condition of the buildings and structures varied. Some metal roofs and cranes were rusting. White ants had damaged some wooden structures. However, the island's history is still very clear. The buildings and their layout help us understand how the island was used over time.
Changes Over Time
Many of the buildings on Goat Island have been changed or added to. This happened as different groups used the island for their needs. So, many structures are not in their original condition.
Goat Island in Popular Culture
Goat Island has been a popular spot for entertainment and filming.
- From the mid-1990s to early 2000s, the island was a film set for the Australian TV show Water Rats.
- It has hosted rock concerts by famous bands like Midnight Oil in 1985 and Green Day in 2000. Both were organized by radio station Triple J.
- The Australian TV movie Panic at Rock Island was filmed there in 2010.
- On March 24, 2011, Foo Fighters played a secret show on the island for 300 people.
- On November 19, 2013, Kings of Leon performed for 600 people, presented by Foxtel's Channel V.
Goat Island has recently reopened to the public. Tours are available on weekdays. It was also part of the 2010 Crave Sydney International Food Festival's Sydney Harbour Island Hopping Tour.
Why Goat Island is Important
Goat Island is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register because it is very important to the history and culture of New South Wales.
- Historical Significance: The island shows how Sydney Harbour has been used and developed from Aboriginal times to today. It was the first major place to store explosives for both the government and private businesses. It was also the first permanent base for the Water Police in Sydney Harbour. After 1901, it became the shipyard and main base for managing the port.
- Aesthetic Value: Goat Island is a beautiful part of Sydney Harbour. Its old stone buildings, like the Queen's Magazine, are very impressive. The way the wharves are laid out also adds to its unique look.
- Social and Cultural Importance: Goat Island is important to many people. It shows how the state provided safe storage for explosives. For over 90 years, it was a place where people lived, worked, and relaxed. It tells us about the lives of the people who worked there in the 20th century.
- Research Potential: The island has been used continuously since 1833. It holds many clues about how people lived and worked there over 150 years. Archaeologists can learn a lot from the physical evidence left behind.
- Rarity: The old stone buildings on the island are rare and special. The Queen's Magazine, with its strong walls and ventilation system, is one of the best and earliest large powder magazines.
- Representation: The facilities on Goat Island show the kind of maritime industrial activities that used to be common around Sydney Harbour.
Images for kids
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Goat Island, viewed from Balls Head
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The small ferry Me-Mel is named for Goat Island, but its route between Barangaroo and Blackwattle Bay does not take it by Goat Island.
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Goat Island from Balmain, New South Wales
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Goat Island, Port Jackson, between 1898 and 1901
