Bare island

Bare Island is a heritage-listed islet located in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, specifically La Perouse in the City of Randwick local government area in the state of New South Wales, Australia.

The island is accessible via a footbridge to the mainland of La Perouse. It is a former war veterans' home and museum that has now been converted into a historic site of importance. Added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999, it serves as a nearly complete example of late 19th-century coastal defense technology.

At European contact, Bare Island was associated with the Gweagal and Kameygal Aboriginal groups. It was later "discovered" by British explorer James Cook during his voyage in 1770. Governor Phillip and French explorer Jean-Francois de La Perouse were the next to enter Botany Bay, but neither is known to have visited the island. The area around Bare Island eventually became known for noxious trades such as tanneries, fell-mongering, and the development of a unique Aboriginal community at La Perouse that served the diverse tastes of urban Sydney.

As the 19th century progressed, Bare Island was recognized as a strategically located site for coastal defenses that would be instrumental in preventing invasions. As such, it was fortified with the most up-to-date and advanced architectural designs in the 1880s. The fortification complex, which includes a battery, barracks, parade, courtyard, access bridge, and laboratory room/guards quarters, can be explained by phases of occupation identified by Gojak, starting with the original fortification works by McLeod.

Bare Island is situated about 30 meters (98 feet) from the