The 13 Islands of Sydney Harbour (Including Former Islands)

Sydney Harbour and its islands hold a wealth of history, and we can learn so much about the evolution and growth of Sydney by visiting or reading about these islands.

While some of these islands are accessible to visitors, others remain off-limits. Some of them aren’t even islands anymore, as they have been reclaimed and are now part of the mainland.

In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the islands and former islands of Sydney Harbour, uncovering their rich historical legacy.

Here is a list of 8 islands in Sydney Harbour that are still real islands.

Some of these islands can be visited, which is highly recommended and makes for a great day out.

1. Cockatoo Island
2. Spectacle Island
3. Snapper Island
4. Goat Island
5. Rodd Island
6. Fort Denison
7. Clark Island
8. Shark Island

1. Cockatoo Island

Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour, situated west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at the meeting point of the Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers.

Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a National Heritage-listed location, Cockatoo Island boasts a fascinating history as a shipbuilding yard, Commonwealth naval base, and convict settlement. Since 2017, it has been open to the public as a tourist attraction, managed by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

The island has preserved much of its heritage, and the best way to explore its history is by wandering through its themed districts, each showcasing a unique chapter of its past.

The easiest, and often only way to reach Cockatoo Island is by ferry from Circular Quay. A small visitor centre near the ferry wharf provides free maps to help you navigate and enjoy a memorable day out.

2. Spectacle Island

Located in the Parramatta River between Cockatoo Island and the Drummoyne foreshore, Spectacle Island has served various purposes over the years.

In 1863, the colonial government constructed a large powder magazine on the island to safely store explosives, which were relocated from Goat Island due to safety concerns.

By the late 19th century, the explosives were removed, and Spectacle Island was repurposed as the armament depot for the Royal Navy. During this time, the island gradually expanded in size.

Added to the Commonwealth National Heritage List in 2004, Spectacle Island now serves as a repository for heritage items and historical artefacts of significance to the Royal Australian Navy. It holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating naval facility in Australia.

3. Snapper Island

The smallest island on this list of Sydney Harbour islands is located just off the shoreline of Drummoyne, south of Spectacle Island.

Declared a recreation reserve at the end of the 19th century, Snapper Island certainly isn’t the prettiest of islands.

In the first half of the 20th century, it served multiple purposes, including as a scrap yard for Cockatoo Island, a training facility for naval cadets, a base for international troops during World War II, and later as a museum showcasing memorabilia from Australia’s naval history.

The island is currently closed to the public, with no concrete plans in place to have it repurposed.

4. Goat Island

Situated west of the Harbour Bridge, Goat Island is a fascinating 300-metre-wide sandstone island with a tumultuous history. Over the years, it has served as a gunpowder store, a water police station, a source of sandstone for Sydney’s construction, and more.

Today, Goat Island is part of the Sydney Harbour National Park and primarily functions as a tourist destination, offering guided heritage tours.

Long before European settlement, the island was home to Aboriginal people. In the 19th century, it was used for sandstone mining and as a storage site for large quantities of military explosives, with some of the original gunpowder magazines still standing.

The origin of the island’s name remains a mystery. While no goats roam the island, some believe its shape resembles a goat, while others think it was simply a fitting counterpart to its neighbour, Cockatoo Island.

5. Rodd Island

Named after 19th-century lawyer and colonial landowner Brent Rodd, historic Rodd Island is a small parcel of land nestled in the waters of Iron Cove.

Although Rodd attempted to purchase the island multiple times, he was never successful. He did, however, manage to leave his name attached to it.

In the late 19th century, Rodd Island briefly operated as a laboratory for scientists researching ways to control Australia’s rampant rabbit population. The original research station was later repurposed as a dance hall, a building that still stands today.

Now part of Sydney Harbour National Park, Rodd Island serves as a recreation reserve. Visitors arriving by private vessel are required to pay a small landing fee, and the island is also available for hire as a venue for weddings and functions.

6. Fort Denison

Also commonly known as Pinchgut Island, Fort Denison is a former military site with an iconic Martello tower. If you’ve ever been on the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, you will have seen this historic structure.

That tower on Fort Denison was the only Martello tower built in Australia and the last one built in the British Empire, which makes it even more unique.

The island, which was originally not much more than a rocky outcrop, was used as a prison after the first fleet arrived in the 18th century. It was converted to a fortification in the 19th century to help protect the vulnerable Sydney Harbour from attacks by foreign vessels.

Although the island is currently closed for maintenance and conservation works, Fort Denison is otherwise open to the public and worth a visit.

7. Clark Island

Named after Ralph Clark, an officer of the First Fleet, Clark Island is a unique picnic spot situated in front of the prestigious suburb of Darling Point.

Similar to Rodd Island, you can visit Clark Island with your own vessel by paying a small landing fee.

The views of the Harbour, including the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, are enough reason to organise a picnic on the island or to book it as a venue for official events and ceremonies.

8. Shark Island

Situated in the middle of Sydney Harbour, between the Harbour Bridge in the west and the entrance to the Harbour in the east, Shark Island is a great spot for a special picnic with scenic views.

Once a quarantine station and naval depot, Shark Island is now a recreation reserve that can be accessed via approved tour operators and a scheduled ferry service.

Private vessels can also drop off and pick up, but cannot anchor.

Here is a list of 5 islands in Sydney Harbour that aren’t islands anymore. They have been reclaimed and are now part of the Sydney mainland as peninsulas.

1. Berry Island
2. Glebe Island
3. Darling Island
4. Bennelong Point
5. Garden Island

1. Berry Island

Now a peninsula, Berry Island was once one of Sydney Harbour’s many islands. It is connected to the mainland at Wollstonecraft by a grassy area and now serves as a quiet reserve with picnic spots, a fenced playground, and a short walking track.

In the early 19th century, Berry Island became part of a large land grant from Governor Macquarie to Alexander Berry and Edward Wollstonecraft. By 1926, it was established as a nature reserve for public recreation, alongside Balls Head Reserve.

Berry Island held significant importance for Aboriginal people, providing an abundant supply of fish and shellfish for food, while its sandstone overhangs offered essential shelter.

A highlight of the island’s walking track is a well-preserved Aboriginal engraving, depicting a large creature with a boomerang-shaped tail and a prominent circular design in the centre.

2. Glebe Island

Situated next to the Anzac Bridge in Rozelle, in Sydney’s inner west, it’s hard to believe that Glebe Island was once a true island. In the past, it could be accessed from the Balmain shoreline at low tide.

In the early 19th century, a causeway was constructed to reclaim the island and connect it to the mainland, supporting the public abattoirs located there.

The first Glebe Island Bridge, completed in 1862, provided direct access from the city and Pyrmont to the abattoirs, as well as to Balmain and Rozelle. Following the closure of the abattoirs in the early 20th century, Glebe Island became a major port facility and has played a key role in Sydney’s maritime history.

In recent years, discussions about Glebe Island’s future have focused on shifting from industrial uses to tourism, residential developments, and office spaces.

Glebe Island is now part of the New South Wales Government’s Bays Precinct urban renewal program, which aims to transform the area for future generations. Only time will tell what lies ahead.

3. Darling Island

Developed into a premium waterfront urban space with commercial offices, residential apartments, and public walkways, Darling Island was once not much more than a small rocky island.

It was reclaimed in the 19th century to accommodate the development of a large shipyard. The peninsula was sold to the NSW government at the end of the 19th century, and the area was redeveloped with wharves and railway yards.

Two iconic brick buildings that were built during that time for the Royal Navy are still there and are now used as offices.

4. Bennelong Point

It’s hard to imagine now, but Bennelong Point, home to Sydney’s most famous landmark, the Opera House, was also once an island.

Bennelong Island, as it was initially called, was first used as a fort, built by NSW Governor Lachlan Macquarie at the beginning of the 19th century.

A causeway was built to connect the island to the mainland, and the fort was replaced by a tram depot, which was in use until the 1950s. Soon after, Bennelong Point was chosen as the location for the new Opera House, which opened in 1973.

The peninsula is named after Aboriginal man Woollarawarre Bennelong who lived there in a small house that was built for him by NSW Governor Arthur Phillip. Bennelong served as an interlocutor between the local Aboriginal people in the Port Jackson area, and the British settlers.

5. Garden Island

Garden Island in the suburb of Potts Point was still a completely detached island up until WWII when major land reclamation work took place to make it join the shoreline.

Garden Island is now an official inner-city locality of Sydney and serves as a major base for the Royal Australian Navy, with active dockyards, naval wharves, and a naval heritage and museum precinct.

Public access to Garden Island is restricted, due to it being a military base. The Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre used to be located in the northern part of the peninsula but was closed in 2021.