Lost Sydney: Bennelong Island
Location: East Sydney Cove, SydneyOnce a small island, the extreme tip of what is now known as Bennelong Point is the site of one of the world's most well known 20th century buildings - The Sydney Opera House. The location was referred to as Tubowghule by the indigenous Eora peoples.
Bennelong Island largely consisted of rocks with a small beach on the western side at low tide. Located on the tip of the eastern arm of Sydney Cove, it was apparently separated from the mainland at high tide. For a brief period in 1788, this relatively isolated protrusion into Port Jackson (Sydney's natural harbour) was called Cattle Point as it was used to confine the few cattle and horses that had been brought from Cape Town by Governor Arthur Phillip with the First Fleet. The herd was allowed to graze on the headland during the day, which gave rise to it being known as Cattle Point. Within a year of the colony's founding, the point's middens or piles of discarded oysters left by generations of Aboriginals feasting on the shellfish were regathered by the newly arrived convict women and burnt to make lime for cement mortar, though those shells only furnished enough lime to make a single building, the two-storey Government House on Bridge Street. Because of this, it soon became known as Limeburner's Point.
Limeburner's Point was the site of one of Sydney's first fortifications when, in March 1788, Lieut. Dawes built a small semi-circular redoubt there which housed two brass 6 pounders and four iron 12 pounders from HMS Supply.
Bennelong Point from Dawes Point c 1789 It was on Limeburner's Point that Gov. Phillip built a hut for Arabanoo, an aborigine whom he had kidnapped on New Years Eve, 1788. In order to at first prevent him from escaping, Arabanoo was usually restrained by handcuff and rope, or iron chains, and was locked in a hut on Limeburner's Point with a convict at night. When Arabanoo was first cuffed, he believed the handcuffs to be unique ornaments, but he became enraged when he discovered their purpose. Arabanoo worked with Phillp to assist in the care of aborigines who were struck down with smallpox, which killed around 2,000 Aborigines of the Sydney region. After only 6 months amongst the settlers, Arabanoo succumbed to the disease himself and was buried in the grounds of Government House in May 1789.
Woollarawarre Bennelong
Another aborigine, Woollarawarre Bennelong (married at the time to Barangaroo) was captured with Colbee (married to Daringa) in November 1789 as part of Phillip's ongoing plan to learn the language and customs of the local people. Bennelong was a member of the Wangal clan, connected with the south side of Parramatta River. His age, at the time of his capture, was estimated at 25, and he was described as being 'of good stature, stoutly made', with a 'bold, intrepid countenance'. Colbee soon escaped, but Bennelong stayed in the settlement for several months, then slipped away.
Four month later, Bennelong was sighted by officers in Manly Cove, and Phillip was notified. One account has it that, on the day Phillip had organized a whale feast in order to reestablish relations with the Eora, the Governor hurried over and approached Bennelong, who was with a group of roughly 20 warriors. Phillip took a gesture by Bennelong towards another Aboriginal person, Willemering, as an invitation for an introduction, and extended his hand to the latter, who responded by spearing Phillip in the shoulder. A scuffle broke out, but the officers managed to spirit the Governor away to safety.
Phillip ordered that no retaliation take place and Bennelong, some days later, turned up to visit him as he was recovering from the wound, and their relationship was renewed. From that time onwards he maintained ongoing good relations with the colony and in a gesture of kinship, gave Phillip the Aboriginal name Wolawaree. He learned to speak English. In 1790, the governor built him a hut on the point that now bears his name. Bennelong and another Aboriginal man named Yemmerrawanne (or Imeerawanyee) travelled with Phillip on the Atlantic to England in 1792. Many historians have claimed that they were presented to King George III, but there is no direct evidence that this occurred. While in London they resided with Henry Waterhouse, and when Yemmerrawanne became sick, they moved to Eltham, and met Lord Sydney.
Yemmerrawanne died while in Britain after a serious chest infection, and Bennelong's health deteriorated. He returned to Sydney in February 1795 on HMS Reliance. During the voyage, fellow traveller surgeon George Bass nursed him back to health and in exchange Bennelong taught him a sufficient amount of Dharuk to enable the former to communicate with the indigenous Eora on arriving in Sydney. Initially, Beenelong moved back into his hut on Limeburner's Point, but within a short time he had taken to the bush, reappearing only occasionally to dine at the servants' table in Governor King's residence. Bennelong abandoned his role as ambassador in his last years qw relations between the two groups deteriorated. He died on 3 January 1813 at Kissing Point on the Parramatta River in Sydney, and was buried in what is today the suburb of Putney by brewer James Squire, a great friend to Bennelong and his clan.
Fort Macquarie and Bennelong Point from Mrs Macquaries Point, 1835. In the period from 1818 to 1821, the tidal area between Bennelong Island and the mainland was filled with rocks excavated from the peninsula to create a low platform on which Fort Macquarie would be built. The fort was Gov. Lachlan Macquarie's major contribution towards the defence of Sydney, and replaced a small fort established by First Fleeter William Dawes in 1788. Completed in January 1821, it was designed by colonial architect Francis Greenway. On its completion, the fort was one of the largest structures in the colony and was built of stone hewn from an outcrop of rock near the site.
Initially the fort was accessed from the eastern side of Bennelong Point alongside Farm Cove. Many years after the fort was built, a large portion of the rocky escarpment at Bennelong Point was cut away to allow a road to be built around the point from Sydney Cove to Farm Cove. The sheer rock face left at the quarry site became known as the Tarpeian Rock, a classical allusion to the precipitous Capitoline Hill in Rome from which, in the time of the Caesars, criminals were hurled to their deaths.
Bennelong Point Tram Depot. Author unknown. Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
At the turn of the 20th century, Fort Macquarie had outlived its usefulness and was torn down. In 1902, it was replaced by the Fort Macquarie Tram Depot, a terminus and workshops for the Belmore to Circular Quay electric tram service which came down Castlereagh and Bligh Streets.
The tram depot operated until 1955 when it was demolished to make way for the building which presently occupies Bennelong Point the Sydney Opera House. The existence of the original tidal island and its rubble fill had been largely forgotten until both were rediscovered during the excavations related to the construction of the Opera House.
