Description
Known to Sydney’s original inhabitants, the Eora as ‘Mat-te-wan-ye’, the island which is now known as Fort Denison was originally a prominent sandstone monolith standing approximately 49 feet (15m) directly out of the middle of Sydney Harbour, close to Sydney Cove. Both its prominence and proximity to the first European settlement in Australia, in the nearby cove were the cause and justification for its transformation. Soon after settlement the giant rock was quickly broken up into sandstone bricks and hurled back into the harbour to construct the port, Circular Quay, a stone’s throw from The Rocks, where Joe Bananas Australian Flagship is situated.
As a prison and later as a military fortification, Fort Denison was ironically rebuilt of sandstone which came from the Harbour’s North Shore but the vision of its forgotten history is the inspiration for this weave. As it once rose from the Harbour, the sandy peaks of this herringbone weave rise and fall, weaving a timeless classic piece of our collection.
NERD FACT: Completed in 1857, the defensive fortification of Fort Denison is the only Martello Tower ever constructed in Australia and the last ever undertaken within the former British Empire.
WEAVE INFO:
100% Handwoven Raw Silk
Lining: Bemberg
Buttons: Coconut Shell
Weave Time: 256 days
Weave Yield: 33.1 yards
Fort Denison Sandstone
Fabric#: 1595