Garden Island became part of Australia’s naval history just 16 days after the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, firstly as a ships’ garden. Its naval use further developed into a naval depot near the end of the 19thcentury, and ceased to be an island in 1945. Many of the buildings are now over 100 years old, each having its own history, but rarely seen by the public unless through a Society tour. Each tour visits the buildings and details of their history is provided by our tour guides – each tour group is kept to minimum to ensure visitor involvement.