The indigenous Eora people called this islet Mat-te-wan-ye. After the First Fleet carrying British convicts arrived at Botany Bay in 1778, Admiral Arthur Phillip called it Rock Island. A decade later it was renamed Pinchgut Island and used for gibbeting. This was a form of gallows where condemned convicts were executed and left hanging as a deterrent for other prisoners. In response to the Crimean War, this fortress was built in 1857 to protect Sydney Harbour. Its namesake was William Denison, the Governor of New South Wales from 1855 until 1861. Fort Denison is now part of Sydney Harbour National Park. Tours are available to see the museum, cannons and Martello Tower.
