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Things to do in Sydney

Arts and culture

• Art Gallery of New South Wales
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Customs House
• Dendy Opera Quays
• Sydney Opera House
• Sydney Theatre Company
• The Rocks Discovery Museum
• The Garrison Church

Outdoors

• Royal Botanic Gardens
• North Head Lookout
• The Rocks Self Guided Walking Tour

On the harbour

• Manly Ferry
• Cruise Sydney Harbour
• Fort Denison
• Sydney Fish Market
• Whale Watching

Fort Denison

Photo: Hamilton Lund / Tourism NSW

Why go there

Fort Denison, a rocky island in the middle of Sydney Harbour, is one of the most famous historic landmarks in Sydney. Originally used as a place of punishment for convicts in colonial Sydney, it was later transformed into a fort in the mid-1800s to protect the city from potential invasion.

Fort Denison became part of Sydney Harbour National Park in 1992.Today you can enjoy stunning harbour views and tour the historic Martello Tower and other colonial buildings. A café serves brunch and other meals in a premier harbourside location.

Sydney Harbour National Park's guided heritage tours are offered daily departing from Circular Quay. A regular ferry service from Circular Quay and Darling Harbour is available to visitors not on a tour.

Don't miss

• The firing of the fort's cannon. The One O'clock Gun was traditionally fired daily to help sailors set their ship's chronometers.
• The Martello Tower, the only one of its kind in Australia.
• Brunch or lunch at the café on the island or your own picnic.

Access for all

Getting around

Fort Denison is not wheelchair accessible - it has a fixed wharf with rough ground and stone steps, and a steep, narrow staircase in the Martello Tower.

Other accessibility features

Fort Denison offers a range of sensory experiences and interpretive displays.

The 15-minute video at the start of the Heritage Tour is captioned.

How to get there

Book a guided heritage tour at Sydney Harbour National Park Information Centre at Cadman's Cottage in The Rocks.

Buy Matilda Cruises tickets at Circular Quay and Darling Harbour.

Map

Download The Rocks access map (PDF, 1.08MB)

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