First Look: Sydney Harbour Trust opens Wirra Birra Park this Easter long weekend.

By JACK KELLY

History buffs, nature lovers and local families will all be able to bask in the new Wirra Birra Park, which opens this Easter.

The foreshore park is located at the foot of the Torpedo Factory Precinct in North Sydney. It will allow visitors to connect with country, learn about Australian native plants and admire the views overlooking Neutral Bay.

A newly landscaped area has seating, shaded BBQ facilities, and a maritime-themed playground.

Sub Base Platypus is equipped with a rich history that spans back to the Cammeraygal people.

‘Wirra Birra’ is a First Nations name for Neutral Bay, which means a forest of gum trees near running water.

In 1877, a small gas works were established at the northern end of the site and in 1883,  the North Shore Gas Company assumed control of the plant and steered it through a period of significant expansion as the population of the North Shore continued to grow.

By the time WWII arrived, the Government took possession of the gas works and converted it into a torpedo factory. During the Second World War, this facility provided torpedoes for Allied Navies in the South Pacific.

After the war ended, the torpedo workshops continued to service the British Navy submarine fleet based at HMAS Penguin and the Royal Australian Navy’s destroyer fleet.

In 1967, the site was reconverted into an operational headquarters and communications base for the Australian Submarine Squadron.

The base was named HMAS Platypus.

Between 2010 and 2016, the Harbour Trust carried out remediation to address contamination from the former gas works and submarine base. In August of the following year, the Harbour Trust rechristened the site Sub Base Platypus and unveiled a memorial honouring Australian submariners who had lost their lives to mark the 50th anniversary of the commissioning of HMAS Platypus.

With the opening of the new Torpedo Factory Precinct in September 2023, the Harbour Trust then turned its efforts to creating Wirra Birra Park.

The area has multiple car parks and can also be accessed by the ferry wharf. It is located at 120 High Street, North Sydney.