Gallows With a View
Legend says Morgan’s final words as he looked out over Sydney Harbour were: “What a view.” Dark poetry... or Sydney’s first dad joke? Either way, no one laughed louder than the seagulls who had three years of free pecking rights.
Harbour’s Worst Welcome Sign
For three solid years, every ship into Sydney was greeted by Morgan’s swinging skeleton. No need for customs, no welcome mat. Just a bony billboard screeching: “Behave, or this could be you.” Tourists today get Bondi. Back then they got bones. Talk about a grave disappointment.
Pinchgut’s Ghastly Legacy
Pinchgut was already a convict punishment island — its name came from the starvation rations blokes copped there. But with Morgan swaying like a grisly flag, the place became Sydney’s first tourist attraction. Forget postcards. This was performance art in decomposing flesh.
Clean-Up on Aisle Harbour
By 1806, the colony had had enough. The remains were quietly taken down, the chains removed, and Morgan buried who-knows-where. But the legend stuck harder than dried seagull poo on sandstone. Today Fort Denison is a sunny spot for wine, views and picnics — but under every glass of bubbly lies a story of bones, chains and Sydney’s very first “hanging out” local.
At Dingo Tales Sydney, we don’t just walk you through history - we dig up the bodies(figuratively). From convicts in chains to razor queens with blades, our stories have bite, a bit of marrow, and plenty of bone-dry humour.
