North Head Quarantine Station Conservation and Adaptive Reuse Project : environmental audit 2011

Abstract

The North Head Quarantine Station was in operation from 1828 until 1984. Its purpose was as a place to isolate immigrants to Australia who were liable to be, or suspected of, carrying an infectious disease. The site has national heritage cultural significance, and is also a significant part of the landscape of Sydney Harbour. “The primary significance of the North Head and the Quarantine Station is its historical and social significance; and its association with administration, arrival and public health. It is also significant for its contemporary associations with the descendants of internees; and for its Aboriginal and natural values. The significance of the place is strongly reflected in its intactness and its ability to demonstrate all phases of its history and to convey a sense of its uniqueness through its setting and the nature of its buildings and other elements. Strong meanings are embodied in the landform, the vegetation, the harbour and the sea.”. North Head Quarantine Station Conservation Management Plan (National Parks and Wildlife Service, 2000)