See and do 
Have your say: Torpedo Factory Renewal Project (NEW)
Featuring a shaded BBQ area with seating, a pocket playground and a scenic waterfront promenade, Sub Base Platypus is a place where visitors can relax on the waterfront with friends and family. View our visitor map to see how convenient it is to walk to Sub Base Platypus from the closest public transport links.
Note: The Harbour Trust’s ultimate aim is to keep this public domain open to the public 24 hours, 7 days a week, similar to Headland Park, Mosman. This would be supported by a ranger or security on site at all times.
By ferry: North Sydney Ferry Wharf is just 250 metres from the High Street Entrance to Sub Base Platypus, offering convenience and speedy travel times to Circular Quay on the F5 ferry service via Kirribilli, Kurraba Point and Neutral Bay.
By train: Both North Sydney and Milsons Point train stations are less than a kilometre’s walk from Sub Base Platypus.
By bus: Buses run every 20 minutes within 500 metres of Sub base Platypus, along Clark Road. The weekday 269 Bus from McMahons Point to Kirribilli connects with Milsons Point Train Station, and the daily 263 Bus from Cammeray connects to the Sydney CBD.
By foot: Sub Base Platypus is a 3 minute walk from North Sydney Ferry Wharf, an 11 minute walk from Milsons Point Station (0.9 km), a 13 minute walk from North Sydney Station (1.0 km), a 17 minute walk from Milsons Point ferry Wharf (1.3 km) and a 28 minute walk from McMahons Point Ferry Wharf (2.0 km).
View our Walking to Sub Base Platypus Map to see how convenient it is to walk to the site from the closest public transport links. For further public transport information, including timetables, visit the Transport NSW website.
There are currently no disruptions to accessing Sub Base Platypus, North Sydney. Continue to check here and our social media channels for updates.
We encourage you to travel to Sub Base Platypus by foot, bicycle, ferry, bus or train; however, limited parking is available at our public car park.
Recreational vessels may occupy the nearby North Sydney Ferry Wharf for up to 5 minutes for the purpose of dropping off and picking up passengers; however, they must give way to timetabled services. Commercial vessel operators must purchase a ‘Regular Use Permit’ or a Voucher Pack from Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) in order to use North Sydney Ferry Wharf and other commuter wharves. Further info is available on the RMS website.
Sub Base Platypus has been designed for maximum accessibility. An accessible path of travel to Sub Base Platypus is available from Kesterton Park (via the Kesterton Boardwalk) and from the High Street carpark. Accessible public toilets are located on the ground floor of Building 2 (Submarine School).
Security: Sub Base Platypus is patrolled 24hours a day, 7 days a week by rangers and security. In the event of an emergency, dial 000 or 112 if mobile reception is poor. To contact a ranger during an emergency, call Sub Base Platypus Ranger (8am to 4pm) on 0437 049 296 and Sub Base Platypus Security (4pm to 8am) on 0487 327 514 .
Lighting: For safety reasons, public domain lighting, with the exception of the Kiara carpark, will be on 24 hours (during hours of darkness within period). Kiara Carpark lighting will remain on from 6am to 9pm (during hours of darkness within period). Between 9pm and 6am, lighting in this carpark will be activated (for a short period to enable safe access to vehicles) by manual push button, to facilitate exit of vehicles from the carpark.
For your own safety and enjoyment, please observe the following rules, enforceable by our rangers:
Conditions of entry: Do not litter or dump rubbish; do not erect gazebos or marquees (without a permit); do not go fishing; do not operate remote-controlled vehicles (including drones); do not smoke, light fires or use portable barbeques; do not play amplified music (without a permit) or create excessive noise; do not undertake commercial activities (without a permit); do not hold private functions (without a permit); and do not climb walls, fortifications, sculptures or cliffs.
Looking for things to do in North Sydney? Sub Base Platypus is an ideal setting for rest and recreation....
Go behind the scenes of a historic gasworks, torpedo factory and submarine base in North Sydney. Running select Saturdays from 5 December 2020, the Sub Base Platypus Walking Tour is a 60-minute guided journey through the different layers of history at this waterfront destination. Explore buildings from different eras and learn about the site's First Nations, industrial and military heritage.
Image caption: Ben Guthrie, The Guthrie Project
Tonic Lane has parked their roaming gin bar and café at Sub Base Platypus for an extended season commencing 27 Nov. You can enjoy an all-Aussie gin line-up – as well as cider, beer, Pimms and lemonade and non-alcoholic refreshments – on the waterfront at North Sydney
Tonic Lane is also a purveyor of coffee, classic snacks and great conversation, meaning there’s something for everyone! In the spirit of sustainability, Tonic Lane will be using reusable drinking vessels rather than single-use.
Oberon Park at Sub Base Platypus featuring a pocket playground that pays tribute to the site's naval heritage. There is also play equipment at neighbouring Kesterton Park, accessible via Sub Base Platypus’ over-water walkway.
Feeling ambitious? Embark on the Bondi to Manly Walk, a massive 80km network of public tracks spanning the foreshore between two of Sydney’s most iconic surf beaches. When you reach Sub Base Platypus, take a breather and explore Sydney’s newest waterfront destination.
Take advantage of the shaded BBQ facilities and seating at Sub Base Platypus and invites your friends and family to a sausage sizzle on the waterfront.
The Traditional Owners of the land encompassing Sub Base Platypus are the Cammeraygal. Their country extends from the west of Bradleys Head to the east of Lane Cove.
Prior to European colonisation, the local Cammeraygal People camped in sandstone caves on the harbour foreshore and lived on a diet of fish, possum and kangaroo, as well as native roots and berries.
From 1876 to 1932, Sub Base Platypus hosted a gasworks that supplied coal gas to residents and businesses on the North Shore. The site was dormant until 1942, when it was converted into a torpedo factory to supply the Allied navies in the South Pacific.
In 1967, it was repurposed as a submarine base for the Royal Australian Navy’s Oberon-class submarine fleet. Christened HMAS Platypus, the base operated for 32 years.
In 2005, the Harbour Trust was granted stewardship of the site and tasked with transforming it into a public domain where historic spaces are revealed, reimagined and activated by cultural, recreational and commercial uses.
Image caption: Neutral Bay Gasworks viewed from Kurruba Wharf, c 1910 (City of Sydney Archives, Graeme Andrews Collection: 083425)
The Harbour Trust is inviting the public to have their say on documents relating to a proposal for the Torpedo Factory at Sub Base Platypus...
The Harbour Trust is proposing a new approach for the Torpedo Factory that will deliver additional public parkland on the foreshore at North Sydney. To facilitate this, we have prepared a draft amendment to the current Sub Base Platypus Management Plan as well as a detailed Planning Application. Consultation closes at 5pm on Friday 11 December 2020.
Image: An artist's impression of the Harbour Trust's proposal for the Torpedo Factory Renewal Project
Join our community of tenants at this emerging public domain on North Sydney's scenic foreshore...
NLA: 905m² Approx | Annual rent: please contact the Leasing Team
Establish your business in a heritage building that has been tastefully reimagined as a contemporary waterfront workspace. Tenancy 203 is conveniently located near transport links, including North Sydney Ferry Wharf (150m) and Milsons Point Train Station (800m), and the warm shell is an opportunity for tenants to be creative.
Photo: Ben Guthrie, The Guthrie Project
NLA: 183m² Approx | Annual rent: please contact the Leasing Team
A waterfront office at Sydney's newest waterfront destination is now available for lease. Prospective tenants have an opportunity to secure a quality waterfront office in a historic location on Sydney harbour. Rarely do properties of this calibre appear on the market.
Photo: Ben Guthrie, The Guthrie Project
NLA: 187m² Approx | Annual rent: please contact the Leasing Team
Harbour Trust is pleased to offer this industrial, loft-style office at Sub Base Platypus, Sydney’s newest waterfront precinct. This space suits a myriad of commercial uses, meaning creative and innovative businesses have a great opportunity to make it their own.
Photo: Ben Guthrie, The Guthrie Project
NLA: 510m² Approx | Annual rent: please contact the Leasing Team
A prime location for a café or restaurant has become available on the waterfront at Sub Base Platypus. Housed in Building 2, the historic Fleet Workshop, this open plan space boasts floor to ceiling windows and has been specifically designed to enable tenants to be creative and capitalise on a breathtaking harbour view that spans two levels.
Photo: Ben Guthrie, The Guthrie Project
