| Photographs: | |
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| List: | Register of the National Estate |
| Class: | Historic |
| Legal Status: | Registered (21/10/1980) |
| Place ID: | 2179 |
| Place File No: | 1/12/036/0377 |
| Statement of Significance: |
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Building 89, dating from 1891-94, is historically highly significant.
It was built during the major phase of nineteenth century development of Garden Island as the island became a key naval station for the Royal Navy.
From the early decades of the twentieth century, Garden Island has functioned as the Royal Australian Navy's major fleet base and ship-refitting dockyard.
Consequently, the building has a direct connection with a lengthy period of naval activity in Australia, and with a place that is central to the story of Australia's naval history (see also Garden Island Precinct RNE 2171).
(Criterion A.4)
(Themes: 3.12 Feeding people, 7.7 Defending Australia, 7.7.1 Providing for the common defence) The building is important as an example of a late nineteenth century naval stores building, designed by the NSW Colonial Architect working with designs used by the British Admiralty. (Criterion D.2) Further significance is found in the building's association with James Barnet, who as NSW Colonial Architect played a major role in the architectural development of NSW for more than two decades. (Criterion H.1) The structure is of added importance for being one of few remaining naval dockside stores buildings of this era in Australia. The surviving elements of its hoisting technology are of further interest. All of the original and early fabric, internal and external, contributes to the significance. (Criterion B.2) The former stores building is large in scale, strong of massing and late nineteenth century in its styling. It relates to other buildings by virtue of its materials. The open, well proportioned spaces around the building that provide both the setting for appreciating the distinctive building form and style, and the connecting link with other buildings, are important. It is a prominent element of Garden Island's industrial harbourside landscape, possessing notable aesthetic values. (Criterion E.1) |
| Official Values: Not Available |
| Description: |
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HISTORY In February 1788, only a month after the arrival of the First Fleet, an island in Sydney Harbour was selected as the site for a garden to supply vegetables for the crew of HMS Sirius. Soon the island became known as Garden Island, and it was allocated to various ships over the next few years. A hut and later a house were built on the island. A small gun battery was also mounted on the island by 1799. By the early 1800s vegetable supplies from other gardens around Sydney made the island garden redundant. Garden Island became part of the Domain (administratively) for a short period and then was a spot for picnickers. In the 1820s Judge Advocate Ellis Bent was buried on the island, as was Major John Ovens; their tomb was moved to North Sydney in the 1870s once naval development commenced on the island. The island was used also during this time as a convalescent and quarantine depot. In 1856 the NSW Government suggested that Garden Island be used as a naval base by the Imperial authorities (the northern end though was to be kept for defence use by the army). Royal Navy occupation began in the late 1850s. In 1865 the south of the island was officially dedicated to the Admiralty, and in 1866 the rest of the island was dedicated to the Admiralty as well. Garden Island was now destined to become the headquarters of the Royal Navy in Australia. The major period of development of the naval station took place from 1883 to 1896. The first task was to level the southern hill on the island, and wharves and buildings followed, slowly to the late 1880s and then with greater speed. By the early 1890s Garden Island had quite an industrial appearance. Electricity arrived in 1896 and the station was completed that year and handed over to the Admiralty. Following Federation in 1901 the Commonwealth Government took responsibility for defence. The Royal Australian Navy was formed in 1911 and from 1913 the Commonwealth had the use of Garden Island. The island became the RAN's main fleet base and principal ship-refitting dockyard. The period of the First World War saw much activity at the island, the work relating to the fitting out and arming of transports and troopships. A total of 852 ships was serviced, and 3,000 men employed. Garden Island treated ships from allied fleets as well as RAN vessels. The inter-war period witnessed, initially, reconditioning of merchant ships and, later, expansion of wharves at the island. From 1922 to 1929, in a long-running court case, NSW challenged the Commonwealth's claim to ownership of the island and won. Later, during the Second World War, the Commonwealth acquired the island. During the Second World War many ships were refitted at the island. The major undertaking was the construction of the Captain Cook Graving Dock which began in 1940 and was completed five years later; it was a huge engineering project for Australia to that time, and as well as connecting the island to Potts Point it made Garden Island one of the most important naval bases in the southern hemisphere. The major incident at Garden Island during the war was when, during the May 1942 Japanese midget submarine raid, torpedoes were fired at USS Chicago moored at the island, and one hit HMAS Kuttabul, killing 19 men. After the war few new buildings were erected. During the 1980s a modernisation program got underway. The island is still used by Defence and continues to service the RAN. BUILDING HISTORY Building 89 was built as the Naval and Victualling Stores, with the foundations being built in 1891 and the building completed by 1894. The contractors for the foundations were P.O'Rourke and W.Roper, while the contractor for the building itself was Howie Brothers. Morts Dock and Engineering Company was contracted to supply and install the hoisting machinery in August 1893, and other fittings were installed by Henry Hunt and David Jones in 1894. The building cost was 31,886 pounds. The Naval and Victualling Stores was designed by NSW Colonial Architect James Barnet, using Admiralty plans as a basis. Barnet had a huge influence on NSW architecture during the 25 years that he was in the position. There was a plan to extend the building during 1904-05, but then the decision was made to transfer the Victualling Stores to the Royal Edward Victualling Yard (elsewhere on the harbour) in 1907. The building has now been converted to offices and is known as the Main Dockyard Office Building. DESCRIPTION The building is a four storey (inclusive of semi-basement) warehouse. It is constructed of load-bearing polychrome brickwork with sandstone string courses, cornices, sills, copings, and granite thresholds to doors. The building is divided by walls into five fire-separate sections. In each section there are two rows of circular cast iron columns which support girders, timber joists and a tallowwood floor above. The ground floor is paved with asphalt. Wrought iron trusses support a roof which was originally corrugated galvanised iron, then re-clad with corrugated asbestos cement, which in turn was replaced with zincalume. To service the stores, there are five externally mounted iron whips which are mounted above the large arched doorways on the northern side of the building. Windows are double-hung sashes, with two and four lights. Centrally located on the northern and southern parapets, carved in sandstone, is Queen Victoria's Royal Cypher and the date 1893. The building was fitted with a water-operated hydraulic system (of which the whips or hoists were a part), and as well as the whips, the accumulator still survives, as do two lifts which have since been electrified. The building is one of few remaining naval dockside stores buildings of this era in Australia. It is of large scale and strong massing, making it a major component of the Garden Island industrial harbourside landscape. It relates to other buildings by virtue of its materials. |
| History: Not Available |
| Condition and Integrity: |
| Some alterations have occurred over the years. The electrification of the lifts has resulted in lift motor rooms which project above the roof line. Additions were built onto the southern and eastern sides of the building. The building has been converted to office use. The interiors were restored and renovated in the mid 1980s, and the building is generally in good condition. (January 2002) |
| Location: |
| Building 89, Stores Lane, Garden Island. |
| Bibliography: |
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Martin, Eric, "HMA Naval Dockyard, Garden Island: A Building Conservation Study of the Historic Buildings", for Master of the Built Environment course, University of NSW, October 1980. Schwager Brooks and Partners, "Conservation Strategy, Heritage Inventory: Garden Island Naval Base and Dockyard, Sydney", for the Department of Defence, June 1994. |
Report Produced: Wed Feb 10 02:21:47 2010