Historic former submarine base in North Sydney to be opened up for commercial activity
Eight waterfront buildings on Sydney’s lower north shore are set to be redeveloped as part of the city’s newest recreational and commercial destination.
The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust relaunched the harbour precinct as Sub Base Platypus, formerly the Royal Australian Navy submarine base known as HMAS Platypus.
Parts of the North Sydney site will be opened to the public for the first time in 150 years from mid-2018 while the rest will be ready in the following two years, the Harbour Trust’s chief executive officer Mary Darwell said.
Sub Base Platypus is on the doorstep of North Sydney’s CBD. Picture: Supplied.
“Once completed, we will see Sub Base Platypus become a special destination for Sydneysiders and visitors alike, providing a range of facilities and venues for cultural performances, function areas, cafes and restaurants, as well as offices and commercial spaces,” she said.
Ms Darwell added that the buildings, including the Torpedo Factory, Submarine Wharf, Submarine School and the late 1800s Retort House, will be used in a way that keeps with the historical and heritage values of the site.
The oldest building in the precinct is the Retort House, built in 1886. Picture: Supplied.
While the precinct occupies 1.8 hectares, the site has a lettable area of 12,000 square metres. Smaller spaces, suitable for boutique operations, start from 35 square metres, while the largest lot available is the three-level torpedo factory at 6630 square metres.
Ships at the HMAS Platypus wharf in the 1970s. Picture: Supplied.
The Harbour Trust’s chair Kevin McCann said the former submarine workshops would be converted to waterfront amenities including terraces, streets, squares and gardens.
“While the industrial heritage values of the buildings will be retained, the buildings and public spaces will be adapted and made available to cultural, community and commercial organisations.”
The gasworks North Shore Gas Company circa 1910. Picture: Supplied.
Trent Zimmerman, federal MP for North Sydney, said the precinct will include new urban parklands, a new open space on the foreshore and a new over-water link to Kesterton Park.
Before it was a submarine base, the site was once a gasworks providing gas for street lights, homes and businesses in the area.
