Off limits to Sydneysiders for more than a century, secretive Spectacle Island is coming up for sale

Guardian Australia — Jul 05, 15:00 PM

The Sydney Harbour landmark with its ‘falling down’ heritage-listed buildings if one of 67 Defence-owned properties to be sold – but who will buy it?

From the water, Spectacle Island sits in Sydney Harbour like the set of an Agatha Christie novel.

Abandoned buildings, rotting on the inside, pepper the small landmass.

A gun turret sits rusting in the sun.

Water snakes make their homes in the overgrown grass.

The only humans to walk the old military outpost are a pair of guards who boat in for their shifts, patrolling 24 hours a day.

Sydneysiders are not allowed to roam the island, one of 13 that dot the harbour.