| Spectacle Island Sydney, New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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&sq=&lang=&file=File:CockatooIsland_gobeirne.jpg) Spectacle Island (front) and Cockatoo Island (rear), Sydney Harbour | |||||||||||||||
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Australia_New_South_Wales_location_map_blank.svg)  Spectacle Island | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°50′56″S 151°09′50″E / 33.849°S 151.164°E | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 11 km (7 mi) west of Sydney CBD | ||||||||||||||
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Spectacle Island is an island in the Parramatta River and Sydney Harbour, in Sydney, Australia. It lies in the main channel of the western section of the harbour, upstream of the Harbour Bridge, adjacent to the Sydney suburb of Drummoyne.
The island is historically significant as it is the oldest naval explosives manufacturing and storage complex in Australia (from 1865).[1] Originally built to store government gunpowder, the complex was converted to store naval munitions in 1893, for which purpose it hosts storesheds, jetties and an internal railway system.[2] The island has been significantly increased in size by the use of waste from the nearby Balmain Colliery.
Today, the island is a depository of heritage items of the Royal Australian Navy, and also is the home of Training Ship Sydney, a unit of the Australian Navy Cadets.
Spectacle Island was added to the Commonwealth National Heritage List in June 2004.[1]
- ^ a b "Spectacle Island Explosives Complex (listing CHL105393)". Australia Heritage Places Inventory. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
- ^ David Messent (1994). The Complete Guide to Sydney Harbour. ISBN 0-646-17888-1. Pages 66 and 99.