Snapper Island (New South Wales) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snapper IslandSydney, New South Wales |
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 Snapper Island
Location in New South Wales
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| Location | 0.3 km (0 mi) NE of Birkenhead Point, Drummoyne | ||||||||||||||
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Snapper Island is a small island in Sydney Harbour, Australia. It is about 1.65 hectares (or 4 acres) in size. You can find it in the main part of the western harbour, close to the Sydney suburb of Drummoyne.
This island used to be just a rocky spot. But in 1931-1932, people made it much bigger. They added land and shaped it to look like a ship! Since then, it has been used as a training place for young sailors called Sea Cadets. It also used to be a museum. Today, the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust looks after Snapper Island and plans its future.
Snapper Island is the smallest island in the harbour. It has been changed a lot by people, more than any other island there.
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How Snapper Island Changed
In 1879, Snapper Island was set aside as a public park by the NSW government. But it stayed a quiet, rocky place that not many people visited.
When nearby Cockatoo Island became part of the Royal Australian Navy in 1913, Snapper Island also came under naval control. This meant the Navy could decide what happened there.
During World War I, a company called Cockatoo Island Dockyard used the island. They stored ship parts and old metal sheets there.
Shaping the Island Like a Ship
In 1930, a man named Len Forsythe rented the island from the government. He wanted to create a special training place for boys to learn sailing skills. About 50 young cadets joined him and started working on the island.
First, they cleared away all the plants in 1931. Then, they flattened the island by blasting away about 1,000 tonnes of rock. This took eight months! They also added more land, making the island about 1,000 square metres bigger. The stone walls around the island were shaped to look like a ship. The back of the ship (the stern) points towards Drummoyne. The front (the bow) points towards Cockatoo Island.
In 1932, they started building. They built a signal station, a wharf (a place for boats to dock), and other main buildings. The way these buildings are placed looks like the layout of a real naval ship. The cadets also planted two special cabbage-tree palms. These are still the only trees left on the island today.
Island's Role in World War II
When World War II began, the island was given back to the Navy. It was used for military purposes. By the end of 1942, soldiers from the United States used the island for training. British troops also used some of the buildings on Snapper Island as a social club when they were on leave.
The Snapper Island Museum
In 1952, Len Forsythe decided to open a museum on the island. He hoped the money from the museum would help pay for the island's upkeep. The museum opened after 1966. It held thousands of items from Australia's naval history.
Today, Snapper Island is closed to the public.
