Bare Island: Historic Fort on Botany Bay
A small green speck in Sydney's wide blue Botany Bay, Bare Island was part of the territory of two ancient Aboriginal tribes, the Gweagal (known as the “Fire Clan”) and Kameygal (the “Spear Clan”). When Lieutenant James Cook sailed into Botany Bay in 1770, he described the rocky, treeless outcrop as “a small, bare island,” and thus the tiny islet was named. Today the lush green grassland opposite Bare Island, in the suburb of La Perouse, is popular with picnicking day-trippers.
The island itself is connected to the mainland by a wooden pedestrian bridge, and is surrounded by colourful rocky reefs. SCUBA divers rank the deep reefs off the island as some of the best in Sydney, while snorkellers happily splash in the shallows. The expansive Colonial era fort that dominates the island’s rocky terrain makes it an interesting excursion for history buffs.
Beginning in the late 1870s, a wave of paranoia concerning a Russian invasion swept through the colony, and plans were made to fortify Botany Bay, then considered the “back door” to Sydney Harbour and therefore vulnerable to attack. By 1885, Bare Island was the site of an imposing concrete fort, bristling with seaward facing guns ready to blow invading ships out of the water.
In the end, the biggest threat to Bare Island wasn’t the Russians, but the shoddy building materials used in the construction of the fort, which was crumbling in some parts even before its completion. This eventually led to the resignation in disgrace of the formerly esteemed Colonial Architect James Barnet. In 1902, less than two decades after its completion, Bare Island Fort was decommissioned and turned into a rather grim retirement home for war veterans.
In 1967, the island was passed onto the New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service for use as a museum and tourist attraction. Bare Island Fort has now been declared a historical site, and while it's ordinarily closed to visitors, it can be explored by professional guided tour on Sundays. Tours operate at 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm, and tickets can be purchased from the La Perouse Museum, just opposite Bare Island on the mainland. The tour explores some of the Colony’s early military history, and a walk through the tunnels of the fort reveals the fascinating scandals and hidden secrets surrounding the island.
HelloSydney Tip: More recently, Bare Island has gained fame as a Hollywood movie set. You may recognise the fort as the "virus factory" from Mission Impossible 2. In one scene, Tom Cruise rides his motorcycle over the Bare Island bridge amid a torrent of flames and explosions.
Posted on Feb 24, 2011 by Fiona Davies
