Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour. It has been used by various Colonial, State and Federal administrations as a penal facility and as a dockyard since the initial European settlement in 1839. According to a National Trust publication (Kerr 1984), the first construction occurred on the Island in 1839 under the orders of Governor Gipps for a prison to be built for convicts transferred from Norfolk Island.  Today five of the original buildings are intact, with varying degrees of modification.  Among the notable achievements of the convicts was the construction of approximately 20 grain silos excavated from the solid sandstone bed rock, four of which are extant.

Governor Sir George Gipps reported in 1846 to the British Government that a dry dock was to be constructed using convict labour (Parker 1977) to service visiting vessels of the Royal Navy. In 1847 the plan was approved by the Legislative Council and construction commenced in 1851. Fitzroy Dock, as it was called, took six years to construct and was 300 feet in length (later lengthened to 474 feet).

The first ship to be docked was the brig HMS HERALD on 1 January 1857. This date is taken as the commencement of the operations at the Dockyard.

From at least as early as 1870 the Island was referred to as 'Biloela', the aboriginal word for 'black cockatoo', and the Dockyard's official title was 'Government Dockyard - Biloela'.  
From 1913 the official name of the Dockyard was 'Commonwealth Naval Dockyard, Cockatoo Island', and the use of 'Biloela' was confined to such items as the name of several small vessels built at the Dockyard, and the staff magazine 1978-1991, 'Biloela Bulletin'.

Around 1880 a second larger dry dock was required to service larger British ships.  Construction of the Sutherland Dock, commenced in 1882, was completed in 1884.  It was built by free labour under the guidance of engineer Louis Samuel who died at the age of 28 prior to its completion. The dock was enlarged in 1927 from 635 to 690 feet (Parker 1977).

In the early years the dockyard was administered by the prison superintendent who reported to the Governor through the Colonial Secretary; after self-government was granted to the colony in 1856 the superintendent reported to the Legislative Council and the Premier.  From 1870 the Fitzroy Dock and associated workshops came under the control of the NSW Harbour and Rivers Department and many small vessels required for the Department's operations, such as dredgers, barges, tugs and punts, were produced in addition to ongoing work for the British Government (Parker 1977).

Between 1904 and 1908, extensions were made to the shops and yard plant, new slipways were built, and cranes and other machinery were acquired.

The formation of the Royal Australian Navy in 1911 opened the way for local construction of warships and submarines.  The island, together with the neighbouring Spectacle Island, was transferred from the New South Wales Government to Commonwealth control on 31 January 1913. The agreement to transfer the island was made between the Premier of NSW, William Holman and the Prime Minister, Andrew Fisher and signed on 26 October 1915. It was ratified by the Naval Properties Transfer Act 1925. The total purchase price for the two islands, works and improvements, and reclamation rights was almost 868,000 pounds. Construction facilities were expanded to undertake additional Naval work, particularly after the outbreak of World War I in 1914.

Since that time the Dockyard has been administered by various agencies, as summarised below:

1913-21   Commonwealth Naval Board
1921-23   Shipbuilding Branch, Prime Ministers Department
1923-33   Australian Commonwealth Shipping Board
1933-54   Leased to Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Co. Ltd
          (later Pty Ltd)
1941      Wartime Agreement negotiated with the Australian Shipping
          Board (operating under the 1939 National Security
          [Shipbuilding] Regulations)
1947      Vickers UK purchased Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Co Ltd 1949      Cockatoo and Schnapper Islands Act 1949
          transferred control from the Australian Shipping Board to
          the Commonwealth
1950-83   Cockatoo Island Lease Supervisory Committee 
          within Navy Office administered Lease
1972      Lessee company's name changed to Vickers Cockatoo 
          Dockyard Pty Ltd
1984      Shipbuilding Division of Department of Defence Support 
          was given responsibility for lease administration
          Name changed to Cockatoo Dockyard Pty Ltd

On 3 February 1933 the Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Co Limited (Inc NSW) and the Australian Commonwealth Shipping Board signed a lease agreement, to take effect from 1 March, whereby:

     ...the Board will grant to the Company the Island situated in the harbour of Port Jackson ... (including all accretions thereto by way of reclamations) and containing an area of approximately thirty-seven acres one rood and twenty-three perches together with the dry docks, wharfs, buildings, plant, machinery, machines and apparatus....

In addition a Trading Agreement was signed which outlined the conditions of the commercial relationship between the Commonwealth and the Company. The original agreements are today held by CA 1726, Australian Archives, New South Wales Regional Office (CRS C72).

In 1941, effective from 20 November, a special supplementary Wartime Agreement was negotiated between the Commonwealth, the Australian Shipping Board (operating under the 1939 National Security [Shipbuilding] Regulations) and Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Co whereby changed remunerations to the Company for the duration of the war were provided. By the Cockatoo and Schnapper Islands Act 1949 those rights passed to the Australian Shipping Board under the 1941 Wartime Agreement were transferred back to the Commonwealth. In 1950 the Cockatoo Island Lease Supervisory Committee was created to provide Navy oversight into the operation of the Lease.

At the expiry of the 1933 Lease, a new Lease was executed on 19 February 1954 (effective from 1 March 1954) to run to 31 October 1974.  The new Lease was substantially the same as that of 1933.

A new Lease Supervisory Committee commenced on 1 April 1955, providing Navy oversight into the operation of both the Lease and the Trading Agreement.

On 16 May 1956 the Wartime Remuneration Agreement was replaced by a new Trading Agreement; an expiry date was not cited, but the Agreement was capable of termination by either party on 31 October of the year in which written notice was duly given.

On 31 July 1963 a new Agreement was executed, legally commencing on 1 November 1962, to replace the 1956 Agreement.  This agreement had the same termination terms as that of 1956.

In 1972 a new Trading Agreement and Lease were negotiated, both commencing on 1 January 1972 (executed on 14 January), and both to run for twenty one years to 31 December 1992.

On 21 September 1976 a substituted Mode of Performance was executed, to run from 1 January 1976, to run until terminated by either party.  This allowed for varied overhead recovery, temporary surplus capacity, rental, and maintenance of Commonwealth assets.

In 1986, a departmental investigation commenced into the future of the naval shipbuilding and ship repair industries.  Cockatoo Dockyard Pty Ltd agreed to negotiate a new Trading Agreement with the Department of Defence.  This investigation was deferred in 1987, and in April an announcement was made by the Minister of the long term restructuring of the Australian naval shipbuilding and ship repair industries.  Cockatoo Island Dockyard was listed in the May 1987 Economic Review as a Commonwealth asset to be sold.  An Advance Agreement, executed on 2 September 1987, was negotiated between the Department of Defence and Cockatoo Dockyard Pty Ltd to identify items to be included into Overheads.

In 1991 Cockatoo Dockyard Pty Ltd (also known as CODOCK) was a member of the Australian National Industries (ANI) group of companies with a diverse range of holdings primarily in the heavy engineering sector.  ANI had acquired Comsteel Vickers Limited, of which Codock was a subsidiary, in 1986.

Cockatoo Dockyard has been involved in the construction, maintenance and refit of a large variety and number of vessels including both naval and maritime vessels.  The following is a selection taken from a list of vessels built 1912 to 1986 prepared by Mr John Jeremy, Chief Executive of Codock (CRS M3081):

1912-16    HMAS HUON, TORRENS, SWAN Torpedo Boat Destroyers
1916-19    TITAN                    150 ton Floating Crane
1924-25    CAPE LEEUWIN, CAPE YORK  Lighthouse Steamers
1926-28    HMAS ALBATROSS           Seaplane Carrier
1938-42    HMAS ARUNTA, WARRAMUNGA  Tribal Class Destroyer
1944-50    HMAS TOBRUK              Battle Class Destroyer
1946-59    HMAS VOYAGER, VAMPIRE    Daring Class Destroyer
1947-49    WONGA, YELTA             Steam Tug
1951-63    HMAS PARRAMATTA, STUART  Type 12 Frigates
1962-65    EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA     Passenger/vehicle Ship
1964-68    HMAS STALWART            Escort Maintenance Ship
1964-71    HMAS TORRENS             Destroyer Escort
1974-77    A S MAYNE                Bucket Dredge
1980-      VICKDOCK 30              Floating Dock
1979-86    HMAS SUCCESS             Auxiliary Oil Replenishment
                                    Vessel

Major refitting and repair work were important functions of the Dockyard from its beginnings until the final refit of the 'O' Class submarine HMAS ORION, completed in June 1991.  During World War II, several American warships were repaired there.

In addition to shipbuilding activities, other heavy engineering work was undertaken by the Dockyard, such as the manufacture of boilers and turbines for mines, power stations and for ships constructed at other dockyards, and of part of Centrepoint Tower, Sydney.

In 1929 Wing Commander (later Sir Lawrence) Wackett transferred from the RAAF Experimental Station at Randwick to Cockatoo Island.  Here the SOUTHERN CROSS was rebuilt, many early aeroplanes were designed and a few built. Several speedboats and high speed ferries with aeronautical engines were also designed.

The Company, then part of the ANI group, was given notice by the Commonwealth Government to terminate the lease agreement at the end of 1991, one year early. The Government's decision represented a continuation of its broad objective of rationalisation and modernisation of defence support industries.  Much of the machinery at the Dockyard was old and in need of replacement, and it was concluded that the cost of such an upgrade was prohibitive.

Before action was taken to close the Dockyard, the administration under the Chief Executive, Mr John Jeremy, had been divided into sections headed by: the Financial Controller, and General Managers Technical, Personnel and Production (this last position was not filled during 1991).

The Financial Controller was responsible for Administration Services, the Contracts Department and the Accounting Office.  Under the General Manager, Technical, were Quality Control (closed before 1991), Ship/Hull, Mechanical and Electrical Drawing Offices, and Supply, Estimating and Planning Departments.  The Production Office included Health and Safety functions, as well as Dockyard services and construction.

The Commonwealth owned the Island and several large items of machinery, had been the main client of the Dockyard for shipbuilding and ship and submarine maintenance, and had a permanent representative, the Principal Naval Overseer, and his office on the Island.

Because of the close relationship that existed between the Company and the Commonwealth, it was decided that the Company's records were of archival significance to the Commonwealth.

Agreement was reached for these records to be transferred into the custody of the Australian Archives in conjunction with the Commonwealth records held by the Company (ie those records dating from before 1 March 1933, the date of the lease to Dockatoo Docks and Engineering Co Ltd). On 17 January 1992 an agreement was signed by Australian National Industries (ANI) and the Australian Archives whereby corporate records transferred to the Archives were donated.

Most of the records transferred to the Australian Archives were generated in the Technical Division, resulting from the shipbuilding, repair and maintenance functions.  Many records relating to the Dockyard's establishment (buildings, plant and equipment and the Island itself), held by the Production Division, were also transferred.

On 1 January 1992 a new company, ANI Engineering Services Pty Ltd was formed to take over some functions from Cockatoo Dockyard Pty Ltd, in particular security and liaison with the Commonwealth Government for the proposed sale of the island. After operations as a dockyard ceased at the end of 1991, an auction sale was held, at which most of the machine tools and equipment were sold. A further auction was held in April 1992, when the remaining equipment, cranes, and a number of buildings were sold. The buildings and most of the cranes were demolished by the purchasers during 1992. For heritage reasons the boatshed and the power house were left completely untouched at the request of the Commonwealth. At the end of 1992, both dry docks were flooded.

The agency closure date has been taken as the expiry of the Lease and Trading Agreement on 31 December 1992.

REFERENCES:

John Jeremy, Cockatoo Island, Sydney's Historic Dockyard, UNSW Press, Sydney, 1998

John Jeremy, List of Ships Constructed On Cockatoo Island 1912 to 1991, Sydney, 1991 (Unpublished; a copy is held, CRS M3081)

J S Kerr, J S, Cockatoo Island - Penal and Institutional Remains, Sydney, 1984, (Limited Edition National Trust Booklet)

R G Parker, R G, Cockatoo Island, Melbourne, 1977, Nelson

Cockatoo Island NSW