Fort Denison
Fort Denison, also known as "Pinchgut", is one of Sydney's historic landmarks, located in the centre of Sydney Harbour.
When the First Fleet arrived in 1788, Fort Denison was a steep, rocky island known to the Aboriginal people as Mat-te-wan-ye and was a popular fishing place for local tribes. The name “Pinchgut” arose soon after, as convicts who had committed secondary crimes were charged and confined in leg irons on the island, with rations of bread and water.
In 1839, two American warships entered the harbour under the cover of darkness and circled “Pinchgut” Island. Threat of attack from France and America led to a review of the defences of the inner harbour and the decision to build a fort on “Pinchgut” island.
The Martello Tower was completed in 1857 using 8000 tonnes of sandstone. The island was renamed Fort Denison in 1862 after the then-Governor, Sir William Denison. The Martello Tower is the only one of its kind in Australia. Fort Denison became part of Sydney Harbour National Park in 1992.
Today, the Fort still operates as a Harbour Navigation Facility, with automated tide gauge, foghorn, beacon and channel markers and as a modern museum and café.
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