The North Head Quarantine Station is a series of historic and heritage listed buildings on North Head, near the entrance to Sydney Harbour and the suburb Manly. These buildings mark an important stage in Australia's early colonisation, and confirm the fact that Australia was a remote island that was distant from England and the rest of the world.
A quarantine station is a facility, similar to a hospital that is designed to check and monitor incoming passengers from foreign locations. In the early stages of Australia's settlement, new ships would arrive from England on a regular basis, bringing people and livestock with diseases the country hadn't experienced before. To separate the new arrivals, from the already established citizens, and prevent the transferring of diseases, The North Head Quarantine Station was constructed.
The location chosen for the station, was important at the time as the site was the first safe anchorage point inside the heads of Sydney Harbour. A this time, it was a long distance from the actual city and natural springs in the area allowed a constant and fresh water supply, without the need to travel to further locations.
The North Head Quarantine Station operated between the years of 14 August 1832 to 29 February 1984. Since the closure of the station, it is now used as a hotel, function centre, and a restaurant. This complex is named Q Station, and remains part of the Sydney Harbour National Park.
Visitors can observe and learn more about The North Head Quarantine Station while they participate in other activities the area as to offer. Manly and North Head showcases some amazing natural bush, including walks past other buildings that have a historical value. This area had many different purposes in the early settlement of Australia, and also during WWII and other militaristic events.
