Containing former fortification facilities, Bare Island was a former war veterans' home and museum and is now a historic site that was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 and is significant as an almost completely intact example of late nineteenth century coastal defence technology.

[2] It was designed by Sir Peter Scratchley, Gustave Morell and James Barnet and built from 1881 to 1889 by John McLeod on behalf of the NSW Department of Public Works.

[2][6] Governor Phillip and French explorer Jean-Francois de La Perouse were the next to enter Botany Bay, but neither group is known to have visited Bare Island.

The French built a stockade and (kitchen) garden nearby (300 metres (980 ft) from the Macquarie Tower) towards Frenchmans Bay and buried their dead, Father (Pere) Receveur.

[7][2] William Bradley, in his journal "A Voyage to New South Wales", relates that in July 1788 noticeboards were erected on the island to advise visiting ships that the settlement had moved to Port Jackson.

Bare Island Fort reflects the development of coastal fortifications design by the British Army, from locations around the world over more than a century.

This was combined with a newly generated understanding of ballistics and materials science that was a product of the late nineteenth century Industrial Revolution.

Bare Island, in comparison to earlier coastal defences constructed in Australia, such as Fort Denison or the Middle Head Batteries, shows the impact of new materials such as concrete, as well as the ever-increasing power of guns.

Lieutenant Colonel De Wolski raised questions as to the appropriateness of the barracks design and location, as well as the fact that tenders had not been called for its construction.

They also involved other groups such as the Fort Artillery Society who wore period costumes and conducted live firings of the 9 inch gun.

NPWS deputy chief executive Michael Wright said the change would lead to an improvement in facilities, which would attract more visitors and also provide better access for people to explore the area.

The fortification complex comprises the battery, barracks buildings, parade and courtyard, access bridge and laboratory room/guards quarters.

The fabric of the complex is best described in relation to the 6 phases of occupation identified by Gojak:[2] Includes all major concrete work and earthworks, the bridge, original space functions and finishes.

Characteristic materials are mass concrete with sandstone aggregate, cement render, cream fired brick, checker pattern salt-glazed tiles under asphalt, some reinforcing, armour plate, use of vaulting to span tunnels and much of the timber detailing.

Characteristic materials include concrete with finer bluestone aggregate, reinforcing beams to span voids, some conduit, red tuckpoint brickwork with dressed sandstone quoins and lintels, some paint finishes.

Characteristic materials include paint finishes, timber flooring inside store rooms, some conduits and cabling, alterations to original use of spaces and installation or removal of internal walls.

[2] Characteristic evidence includes reinstatement and reproduction of original features by removal of later material, mainly War Veterans period, or addition of material to a presumed original form, also some repairs, paint finishes, resurfacing of floors, especially in Caretakers area in the lower floor of the Barracks building.

[2] As at 18 May 2010, Bare Island is nationally significant as an almost completely intact example of late nineteenth century coastal defence technology.

Designed by Sir Peter Scratchley to a specification by William Jervoise, it represents one of the more substantial and impressive of the many fortifications built around Australasia.

This reflects the social and moral obligations felt by Australians early this century to the veterans of wars fought across the British Empire.

The Fort is of State significance for its pivotal role in the closure of the career of James Barnet, NSW Colonial Architect.

[14][2] Bare Island Fort was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.

It was the site for the first War Veterans Home in Australia[15][2] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

The view from seaward, to the east, is primarily of natural surfaces and contouring, with few hard lines except for the casemate gun shield.

The predominant features that create Bare Island are low relief, a juxtaposition of natural and concrete surfaces, scale and mass.

Bare Island is significant to a number of well-defined groups either as a discrete entity or as part of a broader social setting.

[2] Bare Island has significance as part of the land used and exploited by members of the La Perouse Aboriginal community over the past century.

This includes the use of the beaches and surrounding waters for food gathering, work and recreation, the relationships formed with soldiers stationed on the island and with the veterans, and as part of the social landscape of the community.

Bare Island Fort is nationally rare as an early example of concrete construction, regionally representative as a demonstration of the technology of coastal artillery, fortification design and military tactics in the late 19th century, of high archaeological potential to reveal information not available from other sources about the construction and use of the Fort, of high significance for its potential to derive information that cannot be found on other sites, of medium to high significance for its ability to address pertinent research questions, and of low significance for the potential of its subsurface archaeological remains.

Bare Island is an example of early major construction from mass concrete at a time when use of this material was still uncommon and not well understood.