Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. Goat Island is a harbour island which demonstrates all the phases of use and development from Precontact Aboriginal occupation to the present day. Its almost continuous use since the 1820s for a variety of activities related to the operational management of Sydney Harbour by various government agencies is significant as is its value as part of the historic landscape which now forms Sydney Harbour National Park. . It is the site after 1833 of the first major facility for the storage of ordnance and explosives in both government and private hands. It is also the site of the first permanent establishment of the Water Police in Sydney Harbour. It has associations with Royal Engineer George Barney and Colonial Architect Edmund Blackett. Goat Island was also the emergency centre for bacteriological research during the 1900 outbreak of bubonic plague. After 1901 it was the shipyard and base for port management operations by the Sydney Harbour Trust and its successor the Maritime Services Board. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. Goat Island is of considerable aesthetic significance. It is one of several prominent Sydney Harbour islands that contribute to the overall beauty and pattern of the harbour. It is visually prominent at the confluence of Port Jackson, Darling Harbour and the Parramatta River. The Queen's magazine's powerful architectural qualities are complemented by the unusual design of the contemporary stone cooperage, barrack buildings and perimeter walling. The use of sandstone and slate enhances the overall aesthetic qualities. The magazine's aesthetic qualities are further enhanced by the topographical setting on the south western edge of the island and by the curved alignment of the stone security wall. The variety, extent and pattern of wharves, is unusual in such a concentration and provides a rich visual interplay between the rhythm of the piles and the rocky foreshore. The place has strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. Goat Island is of State, regional and local significance. It is an example of the State's response to the need to provide a safe storage facility and distribution point