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CONTENTSIntroduction...............................................................................................................................................3

Background................................................................................................................................................4

History.......................................................................................................................................................6

CurrentConditions....................................................................................................................................7

HarbourTrust’sVisionforSnapperIsland.................................................................................................8

NextStepsforSnapperIsland...................................................................................................................9

Snapper Island intersects the homelands of the Wallumedegal, Wangal, Cammeraygal andGadigalPeoples.WerespectfullyacknowledgetheTraditionalCustodiansandOwnersincludingtheirElderspast,presentandemerging.

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Introduction

TheHarbourTrustisseekingthecommunity’sfeedbacktoinformplanningforSnapperIsland.Snapper Island, near Drummoyne and Balmain, is the smallest island on Sydney Harbour, part of agroupingwithCockatooandSpectacleislandsknownasthe‘HenandChickens’.TheislandislistedasaCommonwealthHeritage(CHL)place,derivingitshistorical,socialandassociativevaluevaluesfromitsconnectiontoLenForsytheandtheNavyLeagueCadets,theuniquedevelopmentoftheislandforusebytheNavyLeagueCadets,anditscontributiontothelandscapeofSydneyHarbour. Theislandhasbeenunoccupiedsince2006.SnapperIslandiscurrentlyownedbytheCommonwealthDepartmentofFinance.TheHarbourTrust’sComprehensivePlan,madein2003,setsoutavisionfortherenewalofSnapperIsland,basedontheintended transfer of the island to theHarbour Trust. The Comprehensive Plan proposes the repair,maintenance and enhancement of this extraordinary facility, and its reuse for maritime trainingactivities,potentiallyinpartnershipwithnavalhistoryorganisations.The Harbour Trust has engaged consulting firm ERM to prepare a draft ConservationManagementPlan(CMP)toprovideupdatedadviceabouttheconditionofthebuildingsandrecommendedpoliciesforprotectingtheisland’sheritagevalues.ThedraftCMPaccompaniesthisdiscussionpaper.TheHarbourTrustwas recently thesubjectofan IndependentReview.TheReviewnotes thatwhileSnapper Island is included in theHarbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan, any handover of this site ortransfer of any other new sites to the Harbour Trust will need to be accompanied with sufficientfundingtoallowforremediationandongoingmaintenanceandmanagementofthesite.ThedraftCMPandcommunityfeedbackwillinformconsiderationofthepotentialtransferofSnapperIsland to theHarbour Trust; and – subject to the transfer proceeding – the preparation of a futurestatutory Management Plan made in accordance with the Environment Protection and BiodiversityConservationAct1999andSydneyHarbourFederationTrustAct2001.

• WhatareSnapperIsland’svaluesthatyouwouldliketoseeprotected?

• Are the outcomes proposed in the Harbour Trust’s 2003 Comprehensive Plan still relevant,given the current condition of the site and the changing needs and expectations of thecommunity?

• Aretherebetter,moreappropriate,ormoresympatheticusesforSnapperIslandthatcouldbeexploredandevaluated?

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Background

SnapperIsland(Ar-ra-re-agon)isapicturesquegroupingofbuildings,slipways,boatstorage,gardens,flagpoles, and jetties – all arranged in thepatternof a ship. Snapper Island is the smallest Island inSydneyHarbour. It issituatedatthemouthoftheParramattaRiver,closetoBirkenheadPoint,nearDrummoyne.It isalozenge-shapedislandthatmeasuresapproximately100metreslongx40metreswide,andcoversanareaofapproximately1.65hectares.Snapper Island is a unique landmark in Sydney Harbour. It was significantlymodified tomimic theshapeandlayoutofashipasaplacefortrainingforNavalCadets.Ithasbeenhometoarichandwide-ranging collection of naval artefacts and memorabilia, but now the buildings have buildings andstructureshavefallenintodisrepair.ThemuseumcollectionwasrelocatedtoSpectacleIslandandtheNavyMuseumatGardenIslandinc2006.Untiltheearly2000’s,SnapperIslandwasrunbyaprivatecompany,SydneyTrainingDepotSnapperIsland Limited. Today, Snapper Island is owned by the Commonwealth Department of Finance. Theislandiscurrentlyvacantandclosedtothepublic.

AerialphotographofSnapperIsland,showingproximitytoCockatooIslandandSpectacleIsland.Source:Nearmap,2020

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AerialphotographofSnapperIsland.Source:Nearmap,2020

SnapperIsland-SiteFeatures.Source:ComprehensivePlan2003

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History

LocalAboriginalpeoplearelikelytohaveusedSnapperIslandforspearfishingandcollectingshellfishandmolluscs.NineteenthcenturyimagesshowSnapperIslandtobeasmallislandwithrockyshores,sparse vegetation and low shrubs. Due to the levelling and infilling works that occurred from the1930s,evidenceofAboriginaloccupationofSnapperIslandisunlikelytoremainonSnapperIsland.In2007,CliveLucasStapletonanalysedthearchaeologicalpotentialofthesite.Intheirassessment,LSJadvised due to highly disturbed condition of Snapper Island, there was very low likelihood ofencounteringAboriginalculturalremainsorintangiblevaluesattheSite.In1879SnapperIslandwasdeclaredapublicrecreationreservebutitremainedararelyvisitedrockyoutcrop.The islandwas leased to theCockatoo IslandDockyard foradditional storageduringWorldWarI.From1931–2,SnapperIslandwasflattenedandexpandedbyblastingandreclamationtoestablishthetrainingdepot ‘Sydney’ fornavalcadetsandsofulfillingthevisionofLeonardForsythe,afounderofthe Navy League in NSW. The stone seawalls created the shape of a shipwith a bow and a stern.Buildingworkcommencedonasignalstationandotherbuildings.Thenamesandlayoutofbuildingsandstructuresontheislandmodelthatofanavalship.The Training Depot, known as TS Sydney, was opened in November 1932 and became theheadquartersofallSydney’sNavyLeagueunitsfor45years.SnapperIslandaccommodatedmemorabiliafortheHMASSydneyincludingfromwhenitwasbrokenup in Cockatoo Island’s SutherlandDock, in 1932. The collection opened as amuseum in 1952 andconsistsofavastarrayofships’badges,flags,models,brassplates,photographs,etc.ThecollectiononSnapperIslandwasoneofthemostimportantcollectionsinAustralia.AcomprehensivehistoryofSnapperIslandisinthedraftCMP.

NavyLeagueCadetsatSnapperIsland1935(Source:AustralianNationalMaritimeMuseum,SamuelJHoodStudioCollectionObjectID00024966)

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CurrentConditions

SnapperIslandiscurrentlyclosedtothepublic.ManyoftherelicshousedintheformermuseumhavebeenremovedfromthesiteandrelocatedtootherfacilitiesatSpectacleIslandandGardenIsland.BuildingsandServicesTherearecurrentlynoservicesconnectedtoSnapper Island.The Islandoriginallyoperated inaself-sufficientmannerwithitsownsepticsystem,watercollectiontanksanddiesel-poweredgeneratorforpower. At present, these facilities are considered to be substandard. There are no fire services,stormwatersystemsorsanitaryservicesontheisland.There are approximately 10 distinct buildings remaining on the island, most are derelict andcontaminatedmaterials such as asbestos remain. The island contains seawalls, retainingwalls, twomainwharvesconstructedoftimerpilesandframing,numeroustimberwalkwaysanddecking,aboatrampandvariouspaths.Theseareallconsideredtobeinpoorandunsafecondition.A comprehensive assessment of the buildings and elements that remain on Snapper Island, theircondition,and recommendedmeasures for theirmaintenanceandconservation, is in thedraftCMPpreparedbyERM.FloraandFaunaThereislittleremainingevidenceofthenaturalformoftheislandandnoneoftheoriginalvegetationremains.TwoCabbageTreepalmswereplantedinthe1930sandthesearelocallandmarks.Therearenoknownthreatenedfloraorfaunaspeciesontheisland.ThereisanabundanceofseagullsroostingonSnapperIsland.TheHarbourTrustandtheDepartmentofFinanceengagedecologiststodevelopaSeagullManagementPlanforSnapperIsland.ThedraftCMPpreparedbyERMincludesaregisteroffaunathatmaypotentiallyuse,andflorathathasbeenrecordedonSnapperIsland.ContaminationandHazardousMaterialsInitsoriginalformthisislandwasasmallerrockyoutcrop,andfillingwascarriedouttoreclaimlandand expand the island. It is likely that contaminated materials were used in this fill and furtherassessmentisrequiredtoconfirmthis.Itisknownthatasbestoswasusedtoconstructbuildings,manyofwhichhavedegraded.

Siteconditions(Source:ERM)

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HarbourTrust’sVisionforSnapperIsland

In2003,theHarbourTrustpreparedaComprehensivePlanforanumberofformerDefencesitesonSydney Harbour, including Snapper Island. The Comprehensive Plan includes an assessment of thecondition of the Island, identifies constraints and opportunities, aswell as its significant values andconsiderations.InrelationtoSnapperIsland’sheritagevalues,theHarbourTrust’sComprehensivePlan(2003)statesthefollowing:

Snapper Islandhasbeenassessed for itsCulturalSignificance inaDraftPreliminaryHeritageStudy(CliveLucas,StapletonandPartners,February2001).Thisconcluded itwasofNationalSignificance for its collection of naval memorabilia and of State Significance, as theheadquartersofTheNavyLeagueinNSWfor45yearsandasanislandinSydneyHarbour.Thebuildings have not been individually assessed but are verymuch a part of a cohesive groupwhichreplicatesthelayoutofaship.

TheComprehensivePlanproposesthefollowingoutcomesforSnapperIsland:

TheTrust’splanforSnapperIslandproposestherepair,maintenanceandenhancementofthisextraordinaryfacility.Thecontinuationofmaritimetrainingactivitieswillbeencouraged.TheTrustiskeenforprofessionalcuratorialassistance.Partnershipscouldbeencouraged,suchaswithnavalhistoryorganisations, theAustralianNationalMaritimeMuseumandSpectacleIsland.Programs and activities could be developed for the interpretation and appreciation of theisland,itsbuildings,workshopsandcollection.Improvements to the island require the preparation of a remediation strategy andenvironmentalmanagementplan.

• Repairsandmaintenancewillberequiredto:• Managetidalerosionoffilltoseawalls• Makegoodthesurfacecoverthatcurrentlyexistsovertheisland• Upgradeservicesonthesite• Ensurestructuralsoundnessofbuildings• Ensureoccupationalhealthandsafetyrequirementsaremet

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NextStepsforSnapperIsland

Your feedback will inform the Harbour Trust’s and Department of Finance’s consideration of thepotential transfer of Snapper Island to the Harbour Trust. The draft CMP’s condition reports andrecommendations will inform level of funding that may be required to support essential repairs,conservationworks,andthere-openingofSnapperIsland.If Snapper Island is transferred, the Harbour Trust will prepare a statutory management plan forSnapper Island, inaccordancewith the requirementsof theEnvironmentProtectionandBiodiversityConservation Act 1999 and Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act 2001. The community would beconsulted regarding thedraftManagement Planwhichwould identify outcomes for Snapper Island,includingsuitablelanduses.

NavalLeagueCadetsatboatrampsSnapperIslandcirca1938(Source:StateLibraryofNSWSamHoodCollectionFL1375016)