Cadman's Cottage

Cadman's Cottage at Circular Quay, Sydney

Sydney Harbour National Park

One of Sydney’s oldest buildings, Cadman’s Cottage was once the head office of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife and serves now as the Sydney Harbour National Park Information Centre.

It was built in 1816 as part of the Government Dockyard and served as a base for the supervision of Government boats. Cadman’s Cottage is named after the third and longest serving Government Coxswain (the master in charge of small vessels) John Cadman, who retired in 1845. Some time in the following three years Cadman’s Cottage became the office of the water police, and in 1849 it was gazetted as a Court of Petty Sessions.

In the following decades Cadman’s Cottage was used as a Police lock-up, office of the charitable Sailors’ Home Trust, a home for retired sea captains and until the 1960s it provided accommodation for officers of visiting merchant ships.

The Foundation provided funds for the restoration of the building and for an archaeological dig to preserve all heritage values of this important historical site.