Fort Denison & Sydney Skyline Postcard

Fort Denison is a former penal site and defensive facility occupying a small island located north-east of the Royal Botanic Gardens and about one kilometre east of the Opera House in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. It is said that the island was named Pinchgut after convicts were sentenced to be held there in irons with rations of only bread and water. In 1839, two American warships entered the harbour at night and circled Pinchgut Island. Concern with the threat of foreign attack caused the government to review the harbour's inner defences. Fortification of the island began in 1841. The Crimean War led to renewed fears of a naval attack and the completion of the fortification. The fortress features a distinctive Martello tower, the only one ever built in Australia and the last one ever constructed in the British Empire. Fort Denison is now a museum, tourist attraction and popular location for wedding receptions and corporate events.