The Eastern fortescue (Centropogon australis), also known as the fortesque, Southern fortescue, fortie or Southern bullrout, is a species of ray-finned fish, a waspfish belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives.

The Eastern fortescue was first formally described as Cottus australis in 1790 by the English biologist George Shaw in John White's Journal of a voyage to New South Wales.

There is a covering of ctenoid scales except for a wide scaleless area above the lateral line which extends from the upper back of the head to underneath the spiny part of the dorsal fin.

There is a large spine on either sie of the snout which the fish is able to project forwards.

The overall colour is creamy to brown with darker irregular, vertical bars on the head and along the flanks.