Australian hospitality group The Point has recently been granted long-term lease of Sydney’s historic harbour island, Fort Denison.
The lease, made by the New South Wales government, will allow the group to transform Fort Denison into a multi-pronged visitor concept with a focus on hospitality.
The resultant project, Fort Denison Dining, will aim to open up the island to world-class hospitality while giving visitors various opportunities to appreciate the history of Fort Denison.
“Fort Denison has long been the forgotten jewel in our spectacular Sydney Harbour crown,” says NSW Minister for Energy and Environment, Matt Kean.
“We wanted to right that wrong, and deliver a state-of-the-art visitor experience for the whole community to enjoy that celebrates the unique heritage and environmental values of this unique site.
“The proposal put forward by the Fort Denison Dining team delivers on all of those fronts and I look forward to seeing Fort Denison reach its potential and become a must-see attraction for locals and visitors alike.”
The lease awarded to The Point Group will be acted out in joint custodianship with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, whose goal is to protect the heritage integrity of the island while modernising it with new facilities. The Fort Denison Dining concept will comprise a range of experiences that bridge old and new, including a dining room, casual dining area, three exhibition rooms in the barracks buildings, along with a bar and wine room.
New and improved historic and interpretive displays will also feature throughout the island, as well as the introduction of guided tours.
“Our Fort Denison team has worked for more than two years to develop an extraordinary design that respects and celebrates the shared history and heritage of the island. We look forward to making an important contribution to the revitalising of the tourism and hospitality industries in Sydney,” says Point Group CEO, Brett Robinson.
“We want to make the world take notice – it’s not just the Opera House and Harbour Bridge that are landmarks in Sydney Harbour. We want to recognise that Fort Denison is a key part of a trilogy of iconic landmarks.”
The site will be closed while renovations take place. Fort Denison Dining is slated to open in late 2022, with more information on the dining concepts to be announced.