Mess Hall, Convict Precinct, Cockatoo Island

The Cockatoo Island Convict Site (1839-1869) features outstanding examples of remnant convict structures. These include Fitzroy Dock – the only surviving example, nationally, of a dry dock constructed by convicts. It was completed over a ten-year period (1847 to 1857) under the direction of Gother Kerr Mann, the island’s Engineer in Chief and, later, superintendent of the penal establishment.

In 2010, the Cockatoo Island Convict Site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List with 10 other heritage sites. Collectively known as the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property, these sites offer insights into the conditions endured by convicts who were exiled to Australia and put to work on the colony’s ambitious building projects. These include the convict era Mess Hall (pictured)