Goat Island, part of Sydney Harbour National Park, is a fascinating sandstone island located just west of the Harbour Bridge, spanning 300 metres in width.
Over the years, Goat Island has served many purposes, including as a gunpowder store, a water police station, and a source of sandstone for Sydney’s construction industry, among others.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the island’s rich history, its future, and how you can explore it for yourself.
Getting There
As you can see in the map below, the island is located in the middle of the Harbour, nestled between the Harbour Bridge, Balls Head Reserve, Balmain East, and Barangaroo Reserve.
Currently, the only way to visit Goat Island is by joining a professional tour which can be booked through NSW National Parks.
Check the NSW National Parks website for more information regarding cost and availability.
About Goat Island
Did you know that Sydney Harbour is home to eight islands and five former islands? Among them, Goat Island stands out as one of the most intriguing.
The origin of the island’s name remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: it has nothing to do with actual goats living there!
Some believe the name comes from the island’s goat-like shape, while others think it complements the name of nearby Cockatoo Island.
Let’s take a closer look at the history of this unique island in Sydney Harbour.
Early Aboriginal Occupation
Known as Me-mel (or Memel) by the Gadigal people, Goat Island lies off the shores of Balmain, just west of the Harbour Bridge.
The word Me-mel means ‘eye’, likely referencing the distinctive shape of the 4.5-hectare island.

Aboriginal people inhabited the island long before European settlement, and a few sites remain visible today, including a midden and a rock shelter.
Bennelong, a prominent Aboriginal man who acted as a mediator between the Gadigal people and British settlers in the late 18th century, claimed the island as belonging to his father.
He frequently visited Me-mel with his second wife, Barangaroo.
The 19th Century
In the 1830s, convicts were tasked with quarrying sandstone from Goat Island to supply building materials for Sydney’s growing city.
It was also decided that the island would be used to store large quantities of military explosives, as keeping gunpowder in The Rocks had become too dangerous for the rapidly expanding city.

Towards the end of the 1830s, convicts completed the construction of a massive gunpowder magazine with bomb-proof walls. Much of the island’s native vegetation was cleared to minimise the risk of fire.
In the 1850s, the larger Queen’s Magazine was built, featuring walls up to three metres thick. It eventually housed over 7,000 barrels of gunpowder, enough to destroy the entire city if ignited.

Once the construction was complete, the convicts were moved to neighbouring Cockatoo Island to continue their gruelling labour.
During this period, a convict named Charles “Bony” Anderson was infamously chained on Goat Island for several years.
Anderson, who had suffered a head injury while serving in the Navy, was reportedly difficult to handle due to brain damage.

As punishment for his repeated escape attempts, he was condemned to endure a brutal 1,200 lashes.
The rock bench where Anderson was chained remains on the island today, serving as a sombre reminder of his tragic story.
The 20th Century
By 1900, all explosives were relocated to nearby Spectacle Island, and Goat Island became the headquarters of the Sydney Harbour Trust.
The Trust was responsible for maintaining a fleet of tugboats and dredgers, as well as cleaning up the harbour and dealing with a rat infestation after Sydney’s outbreak of the bubonic plague in the early 20th century.

One of the island’s most iconic structures is the Harbour Master’s residence, built in the 1920s (as seen in the cover photo).
Perched on the highest point of the island, this luxurious mansion offers an impressive sight and would have provided its occupant with unparalleled panoramic views of Sydney Harbour.
In 1936, the Harbour Trust was replaced by the NSW Maritime Services Board. Over the following decades, Goat Island became home to members of the Board’s Fire Brigade and their families. A recreational hall was built for the residents and became a popular Saturday night venue for both island residents and visitors from the mainland. Unfortunately, this hall no longer exists.
Around this time, a shipyard was established on the island to build and repair large vessels. The shipyard thrived during the 1950s and 1960s, marking a peak period of activity on Goat Island.

However, the decline of the maritime industry in the 1970s and 1980s brought this busy era to an end. While the shipyard is still operational today, it now handles only minor repairs.
If you’ve ever watched the television drama Water Rats, you may recognise Goat Island as a key filming location for the series, which ran for six seasons between 1996 and 2001.
A purpose-built shed, created for the show, still stands on the island, despite its intended demolition.
The 21st Century and Beyond
With its long and rich history, Goat Island is now officially part of Sydney Harbour National Park.
Today, the island serves primarily as a tourist destination, offering guided tours and providing a prime vantage point for Sydney’s spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks.

In 2016, the NSW government announced plans to return the management of Goat Island to the Aboriginal people of New South Wales.
The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is currently working with the Me-Mel Transfer Committee to make recommendations to the NSW Government for the transfer of Me-Mel in Sydney Harbour to Aboriginal ownership and management.
Concerts on the Island
Goat Island has also played host to several iconic rock concerts over the years.
In the summer of 1985, Midnight Oil performed their legendary Oils on the Water concert to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Triple J.

In 2000, Green Day took the stage on the island for an intimate performance in front of a small but enthusiastic crowd, also presented by Triple J. That concert is still available to watch on YouTube.
More recently, bands like Foo Fighters and Kings of Leon have also graced Goat Island with unforgettable performances.
Hi, I was a Launch Driver for the MSB from 1973 to 1980. All boats and floating plants would be tied up on the Island. The time I worked there, it was an education that money couldn’t buy. The people working on the Dredging side of the Island, were Seamen from coastal ships. If you had a drinking problem, you would end up at Goat Island. The idea was put Jack on the Island for 6 months to dry out, what a great idea. What a dump idea you could get beer, from the Peggy. The Peggy would catch the 10.40 Sputnik to the Quay, a light green canvas bag that could hold 6 dozen cans.
Why don’t you speak to the people who lived on goat island and get the real story on what it was like to live and grow up on Goat Island in the thirties, fourties, fifties and the sixties. There are not many of them still around.
Absolutely, would love to!
I worked on Goat Island for 10 years with the Maritime Service Board until it was handed over to the National Parks and Wildlife. This gives me a lot of good memories I had on the Island.
I was a gardener and cleaner and I enjoyed meeting a lot of people on the ship yard.
Hi Bruce, thanks so much for your comment.
It’s always great to hear stories from people who actually worked there and were involved in the development of the island.
I’m after some photos and history of a boat that was built there on Goat Island in 1960 for the Sydney water police rescue boat.
The name of the boat is Delaney and she’s 46ft long. The boat was named after the commissioner Colin John Delaney. Hoping you can help me out, thank you.
The boats name was “Colin J Delaney” and it was built by the Maritime Services Board around 1963-64 I think. I worked on it while it was being built. Leigh Carlson, 0408755820