Garden Island has supported naval activities since the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. Until 1810, naval crew used the original island of less than five hectares as a vegetable garden, despite the scarcity of fresh water. During WWII the shape of the island changed dramatically with the construction of the Captain Cook Graving (cleaning) Dock. Twelve hectares of seabed were reclaimed, effectively linking the island to the shore at Potts Point. On completion in 1945, the dock was 345 metres long, 45 metres wide and 14 metres deep with a capacity of almost 260 million litres.