Fort Denison

Rising from the middle of Sydney Harbour like a lonely stone sentinel, Fort Denison has watched the city grow from a fragile penal colony to a glittering global harbour.

But before it became a fort, it was a place of punishment. Known to the Gadigal people as Mat-te-wan-ye, the rocky island was later used as a brutal convict prison where men were left in chains, exposed to wind, salt and sun. In time, fear of foreign invasion transformed it into a Martello tower, armed and ready to defend the young colony.

In this episode, we explore the isolation, the hardship, and the quiet endurance etched into those sandstone walls. The cannon fire that once echoed across the water. The time ball that helped ships set their clocks. And the human stories that linger in the shadow of that round stone tower.

It is a story of confinement and protection. Of vulnerability and vigilance. Of a small island that has always stood alone, right at the heart of Sydney.

Tonight, we step out into the harbour and listen to what the stone still remembers.

Tonight, we walk into the smoke and steel of colonial Australia and meet the man behind the armour.

The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, weeknights 11:10pm

The Nightline with Cheralyn Darcey from 2HD Newcastle and across Australia on the Super Radio Network live weeknights from 8pm to midnight - news, views and a bit of fun

Fort Denison
Rising from the middle of Sydney Harbour like a lonely stone sentinel,&nbsp;Fort Denison&nbsp;has watched the city grow from a fragile penal colony to a glittering global harbour.
But before it became a fort, it was a place of punishment. Known to the Gadigal people as Mat-te-wan-ye, the rocky island was later used as a brutal convict prison where men were left in chains, exposed to wind, salt and sun. In time, fear of foreign invasion transformed it into a Martello tower, armed and ready to defend the young colony.
In this episode, we explore the isolation, the hardship, and the quiet endurance etched into those sandstone walls. The cannon fire that once echoed across the water. The time ball that helped ships set their clocks. And the human stories that linger in the shadow of that round stone tower.
It is a story of confinement and protection. Of vulnerability and vigilance. Of a small island that has always stood alone, right at the heart of Sydney.
Tonight, we step out into the harbour and listen to what the stone still remembers. Tonight, we walk into the smoke and steel of colonial Australia and meet the man behind the armour.
The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, weeknights 11:10pm
The Nightline with Cheralyn Darcey from 2HD Newcastle and across Australia on the Super Radio Network live weeknights from 8pm to midnight - news, views and a bit of fun

This is a catch-up podcast of an interviews with Cheralyn Darcey. Find your local station or stream live https://2sm.com.au

This is a catch-up podcast of an interviews with Cheralyn Darcey. Find your local station or stream live&nbsp;<a href="https://2sm.com.au">https://2sm.com.au</a>

Cheralyn Darcey

Cheralyn is a radio broadcaster with a passion for community, music, and gardening. She is also a best-selling botanical history author and illustrator of twenty-one internationally published titles.

Cheralyn is a radio broadcaster with a passion for community, music, and gardening. She is also a best-selling botanical history author and illustrator of twenty-one internationally published titles.