Thomas Nelson, Sydney Australia 1977 1st Edition. Sydney Harbour island started as a stone quarry, became a prison and eventually site of the two largest dry docks in the Southern Hemisphere. With the construction of the graving docks last century, shipbuilding as well as ship repairing began, engineering skills developed, and Cockatoo Dockyard became vitally important not only to Australia's own navy and merchant marine but to the Allied navies in two world wars. Becoming the Commonwealth Dockyard in 1913, Cockatoo went steadily ahead in prestige and expertise until the Depression forced the Government to lease the dockyard to private enterprise in 1933. As Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company Limited, Cockatoo increased its reputation and in 1947 Vickers Limited, of London, took a controlling interest in the company. Lavishly illustrated with photographs of the period and of the many ships associated with the dockyard. Includes illustrations, plans, list of ships built. Illustrated dust jacket over blue cloth covered end boards. Pristine condition. 86pp 210 x 280mm