Out by Christmas: Sydney fights the sale of the 176-year-old Victoria Barracks

What happened

Victoria Barracks, built by convicts in the 1840s, is one of 67 underused or vacant Defence properties earmarked for sale nationwide after an independent audit; the sales are expected to raise up to 3 billion Australian dollars, ABC reported. The naval base HMAS Penguin at Middle Head is also to be marketed.

About 500 people work on the 13-hectare site. Most are to move to Randwick Barracks, others temporarily to an office tower in the city centre. Defence sources told ABC that boxes are already being packed, with the aim of having everyone out by Christmas.

Defence Minister Richard Marles defends the sale: the site is not fundamental to national defence, the work there is mostly office-based, and keeping it would cost 200 million dollars over the next decade. All buildings would remain protected even after a sale.

The mood on the ground

On Sunday, about a thousand people gathered for a rally against the sale, according to the news agency AAP. Former prime minister John Howard called the barracks irreplaceable and drew loud applause. Liberals, Greens, One Nation, independent MPs and the veterans' organisation RSL stand together on this issue.

The alliance was not entirely harmonious: Greens leader David Shoebridge won support for criticising the privatisation of public land but was jeered when he raised AUKUS and the site's Aboriginal history (AAP). The NSW opposition leader promised legislation to block the sale if her Coalition wins the March election.

Premier Chris Minns (Labor) is also urging Canberra to reverse the decision, calling it a missed opportunity, ABC reported. Marles, for his part, attributes the opposition to "a few former generals" who liked spending time at the site.

Voices from the media