Upgrades and conservation of Fort Denison – Muddawahnyuh

Fort Denison – Muddawahnyuh is a significant colonial-era fort in Sydney Harbour. Known as 'Mattewanya' to traditional owners, a 'Pinchgut' to convicts and colonists, it was originally a rocky outcrop before the Colonial Government fortified the island in the 1840s, with later additions including the most complete Martello Tower in the world. The fort has been a tourist attraction since the 1940s and was added to Sydney Harbour National Park in 1995.

Fort Denison – Muddawahnyuh is currently closed to visitors, allowing for significant conservation and repair works to the Barracks building and seawalls. The island's existing 1940s-era timber wharf is being replaced with a new modern, safe wharf that complies with accessibility standards established under the Disability Discrimination Act. The new wharf allows people with mobility issues to safely visit Fort Denison for the first time in the island's 170-year history.

This project is being delivered as part of the largest visitor infrastructure program in national park history.

Project stages and work

Detailed planning and design for the new wharf were carried out in 2020.

The new wharf consists of a floating pontoon linked via a gangway and fixed bridge to Fort Denison – Muddawahnyuh. Fabrication of the pontoon was completed in Port Macquarie and was delivered to Sydney at the end of March 2022. This was fitted out at Rozelle Bay in April and was moved to Fort Denison in May, with onsite works carried out in the second half of 2022.

Service upgrades and extensive conservation works on the fort are also ongoing through to mid-2025.

Fort Denison – Muddawahnyuh remains closed to visitors during this time.

Information and updates

We will keep visitors and the community informed of the progress of this project through updates on this webpage.

Protecting park values

In accordance with NSW environmental and planning legislation, the National Parks and Wildlife Service have carried out a thorough environmental assessment of the site with input from relevant specialists.

Heritage assessments have also been carried out, which consider the state significance of Fort Denison and the location within the buffer zone of the World Heritage listed Sydney Opera House.

Feedback

For further information on the project, please send us your question, and the project team will provide updates via this webpage.