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Detail model, Bare Island Fort, 2022
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TitleDetail model, Bare Island Fort, 2022Date2022About this objectThis is one of three models made by Callum Parker and Daniel Mazzucco, developed during their Master of Architecture program in 2022.
This miniature model represents a section of the Fort’s concrete structure, where existing niches inside the gun batteries will be used to display artefacts. Parker and Mazzucco proposed a pathway that weaves together stories in chronological order and highlights the First Nations perspectives, encouraging a deeper reflection on the pre-Cook landscape and First Nations stories which had evanesced in the history of colonial fortification.
These models were created as a response to a studio brief titled Critical Carbon. Devised by Jennifer Ferng, the brief invites students to engage with sites listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, exploring the role of carbon- and energy-responsible designs in heritage conservation. These retrofitting schemes are designed as a form of climate-change mitigation, inviting future architects to reflect on the link between carbon-conscious design and the preservation of culture.
Parker and Mazzucco’s project centres on the complex on Bare Island, a low, rocky islet located 100 metres off the La Perouse Headland in Gamay/Botany Bay. In their proposal, a singular bridge and boardwalk guide visitors through a linear journey through the tunnels, barracks and magazines, with artefacts displayed in the niches throughout the fort. This pathway creates a chronological narrative which also encourages a deeper reflection on the pre-Cook landscape and First Nations stories which had evanesced in the history of colonial fortification.
Their project also recognises heritage buildings as active carbon stores and proposes a shift towards low-carbon materials: carbon-negative lime mortar and carbon-neutral cement mixed with waste sandstone from excavation are proposed for the repair of the existing concrete fabric. As a result, the carbon introduced in new works is gradually offset by the ongoing low-impact maintenance over time.
As reflected in its name – coined by Captain Cook in his journal as ‘a small bare island’, the landscape on Bare Island is characterised by Hawkesbury sandstone, sparse vegetation, and constant exposure to salt-laden winds from the southeast. Constructed in the 1880s, the Bare Island Fort was part of a broader Australasian system of colonial defence and trade security devised by Imperial fortification experts William Jervois and Peter Scratchley. Adopting the relatively new mass concrete construction techniques at the time, the fortification was a rare example of purpose-built colonial fortification. The site’s challenging topography and the colonial industry’s inexperience with concrete as a building material led to a series of issues, particularly water ingress and poor structural integrity. The flawed construction resulted in limited military use of the site and ultimately contributed to the demise of the Colonial Architect, James Barnet’s otherwise distinguished career. Yet the minimal modification and use of the site ended up preserving a typical example of Jervois and Scratchley’s fortification design, exemplifying the defence approach throughout the British Empire in the late 19th century. In the 20th century, the Fort had been used as a War Veteran’s Home, a World War II gun battery, and more recently a museum.Object No.2024.3-3 MaterialCementPolylactic acidAcrylicCredit lineGift of Callum Parker and Daniel Mazzucco, 2025Organisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse MuseumThemesSocial history
This miniature model represents a section of the Fort’s concrete structure, where existing niches inside the gun batteries will be used to display artefacts. Parker and Mazzucco proposed a pathway that weaves together stories in chronological order and highlights the First Nations perspectives, encouraging a deeper reflection on the pre-Cook landscape and First Nations stories which had evanesced in the history of colonial fortification.
These models were created as a response to a studio brief titled Critical Carbon. Devised by Jennifer Ferng, the brief invites students to engage with sites listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, exploring the role of carbon- and energy-responsible designs in heritage conservation. These retrofitting schemes are designed as a form of climate-change mitigation, inviting future architects to reflect on the link between carbon-conscious design and the preservation of culture.
Parker and Mazzucco’s project centres on the complex on Bare Island, a low, rocky islet located 100 metres off the La Perouse Headland in Gamay/Botany Bay. In their proposal, a singular bridge and boardwalk guide visitors through a linear journey through the tunnels, barracks and magazines, with artefacts displayed in the niches throughout the fort. This pathway creates a chronological narrative which also encourages a deeper reflection on the pre-Cook landscape and First Nations stories which had evanesced in the history of colonial fortification.
Their project also recognises heritage buildings as active carbon stores and proposes a shift towards low-carbon materials: carbon-negative lime mortar and carbon-neutral cement mixed with waste sandstone from excavation are proposed for the repair of the existing concrete fabric. As a result, the carbon introduced in new works is gradually offset by the ongoing low-impact maintenance over time.
As reflected in its name – coined by Captain Cook in his journal as ‘a small bare island’, the landscape on Bare Island is characterised by Hawkesbury sandstone, sparse vegetation, and constant exposure to salt-laden winds from the southeast. Constructed in the 1880s, the Bare Island Fort was part of a broader Australasian system of colonial defence and trade security devised by Imperial fortification experts William Jervois and Peter Scratchley. Adopting the relatively new mass concrete construction techniques at the time, the fortification was a rare example of purpose-built colonial fortification. The site’s challenging topography and the colonial industry’s inexperience with concrete as a building material led to a series of issues, particularly water ingress and poor structural integrity. The flawed construction resulted in limited military use of the site and ultimately contributed to the demise of the Colonial Architect, James Barnet’s otherwise distinguished career. Yet the minimal modification and use of the site ended up preserving a typical example of Jervois and Scratchley’s fortification design, exemplifying the defence approach throughout the British Empire in the late 19th century. In the 20th century, the Fort had been used as a War Veteran’s Home, a World War II gun battery, and more recently a museum.Object No.2024.3-3 MaterialCementPolylactic acidAcrylicCredit lineGift of Callum Parker and Daniel Mazzucco, 2025Organisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse MuseumThemesSocial history
Detail model, Bare Island Fort, 2022 (2022). Randwick City Council, accessed 25/08/2026, https://ourstory.randwick.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/15063