Written by passionate volunteer researchers, our library of articles (below) include comprehensive biographies and entertaining yarns. Some are informed by folk stories, tall tales and hearsay. Others draw on archival newspapers and reliable, first-hand accounts.
As the old saying goes, ‘behind every great man is a great woman’. According to Harbour Trust volunteer Karyn Johnson, however, Worimi woman Mary Ann Bugg was always a few steps ahead of her celebrated husband: Fredrick Ward, the bushranger and escaped convict better known as Captain Thunderbolt.
During his nearly two-decade reign as Cockatoo Island’s Superintendent (1841 to 1859), Charles Ormsby gained a reputation for his willingness to bend the prison system to his will. Volunteer researcher Michele Harper canvasses the colourful life of the controversial, convict era figure.
At one time stationed at North Fort in Manly, Don Donkin MBE (1929 to 2016) belonged to a very special era of gentlemen warrant officers who led by example, writes Harbour Trust volunteer and presenter Ron Ray. In his words, "The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery has been blessed by a number of gentlemen but sadly they are a dying breed."
Despite a life punctuated by prison escape attempts and floggings, John Crudden – one of Cockatoo Island’s convicts – might ultimately be remembered for his bravery. Michele Harper, a volunteer researcher for the Harbour Trust, charts the troubled life of the Irish expat, sentenced to the island’s penal establishment before he had even reached manhood.
The Australian Memorial Walk at North Head Sanctuary features monuments to the major conflict periods in Australia’s history. Located in idyllic coastal bushland with views of Sydney Harbour, the paved pathway is engraved with the names of servicemen and women who defended Australia in peace time and war. Harbour Trust volunteer, Andrew M, honours two of the men inscribed on the walk: Privates JW and TR Miles, his great granduncles.
In 1871, the former convict penal establishment at Cockatoo Island transformed into an industrial school for girls and a reformatory for young women who had broken the law. Sadly, the reformatory was cruelly mismanaged. Volunteer researcher Michele Harper shares the story of Captain Harris, an American ship master who literally fought for the women of the reformatory.
Bungaree (aka King Bungaree, Chief of the Broken Bay Tribe) is a symbol of significant collaboration between Aboriginals and Europeans. He was also the first known Australian to circumnavigate the continent and the first person described, in print, as Australian. Michele Harper canvasses the life of the celebrated Aboriginal pioneer, diplomat and leader, including his connection to Georges Heights in Mosman.
Cockatoo Island has a remarkable history as a shipbuilding and ship repair facility, contributing significantly to the nation’s maritime affairs between 1857 and 1991. Michele Harper, a volunteer researcher for the Harbour Trust, profiles an esteemed figure from this era – Jack Payne, one-time general manager of Cockatoo Island Naval Dockyard (1921 until 1932).
Harbour Trust sites, including North Head Sanctuary in Manly, occupy a significant place in Australia’s defence narrative. Michele Harper, a volunteer researcher for the Harbour Trust, shares the story of Brigadier Reginal Lee Rex Rabett, CMG – a gunner of renown who contributed to the military heritage of North Head.
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