Sub Base Platypus
With a new lease on life, Sub Base Platypus has community and Country at its core
10am–5pm
About the building
Building information
Sub Base Platypus – formerly a torpedo factory, submarine base and gas works – is a community recreation and work hub in North Sydney, homeland of the Cammeraygal people. Established as the North Shore Gas Company in 1876 it then became the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Torpedo Maintenance Establishment during World War II. During this time, a number of the munitions workers were women, filling traditionally male-dominated roles while men were at war.
From 1967–99 it became the base for the RAN’s Oberon-class submarines and named HMAS Platypus. The base provided training facilities, staff offices, accommodation, and workshops so the RAN's Oberon-class submarines and other visiting submarines could berth and receive maintenance.
In 2005, HMAS Platypus was handed to the Harbour Trust who began works to rehabilitate it as a public space and foreshore park. After extensive consultations, the Torpedo Factory Renewal Project took place and the Torpedo Factory was relaunched to the public in September 2023. Featuring a three-piece mural by Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay artist Dennis Golding and a decommissioned Mark VIII torpedo, Sub Base Platypus is a significant example of the adaptive reuse of a former industrial and military site with a focus on community and Country.
1876
ArchitectUnknown
Find out more about this building here
Sub Base Platypus
120 High Street, North Sydney
Entry details
Ground floor, level 1 and level 2
10am–5pm
Members hour: MHNSW Members receive exclusive access from 9am–10am
4.30pm
Need to Know
An accessible path of travel to Sub Base Platypus is available from Kesterton Park (via the Kesterton Boardwalk) and from the High Street car park. The entry to the Torpedo Factory Precinct features an accessible rampway, and there is a lift from this precinct to the site’s waterfront level
