Cockatoo Island and Simon's Town anchored southern imperial routes

At Sydney, Cockatoo Island used the Fitzroy and Sutherland docks together with nearby Mort's Dock and the protected waters around the island. The Royal Navy and colonial authorities adapted limited island space into a concentrated repair and construction complex, much as they had at Haulbowline. Simon's Town near Cape Town occupied another strategic point on imperial sea routes and remained South Africa's principal naval base. It was also the nearest British dry dock to the Falkland Islands. Its modern outline still follows much of the layout visible in the 1909 plan, despite later additions. Together the sites show how durable regional dockyards supported fleets far from Britain and influenced later national naval infrastructure.