The Goat Island Magazine Precinct, located in the heart of Sydney Harbour hosts a spectacular array of both Aboriginal and Early European Colonisation history. The Island was originally used as a stone quarry until the late 1820’s, until it was transformed into a gun powder repository due to growing concerns of accidental explosions while transporting and storing gun powder in central Sydney.
Using convict labour and stone quarried from the site the first two buildings commenced construction in 1833. Many additional building were added to the site until the turn of the 20th Century, when the site ceased to function as the official explosives repository. Over the next century the island had multiple uses, and was handed over to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services in the early 1990’s. Today the island is a major tourist attraction and also hosts a ship repair workshop.
Stokes Rousseau was awarded the contract to preserve, protect and refurbish the colonial period buildings in the Magazine Precinct. New major storm water retention systems, concrete retaining walls, asphalt, concrete paving and handrails were all added to the site. The adaptive re-use of the existing Colonial Magazine building and Scow Shed have now transformed the areas into function spaces, with the addition of a new commercial grade kitchen and bathroom, which will be made available for public hire.