It was named by Matthew Flinders in memory of John Hopkins who was one of the eight crew lost from a cutter that capsized on 21 February 1802.

[6] In the 1930s, the lease was owned by Dr. Angas Johnson,[7] who purchased it on advice from Arthur Searcy and made it a sanctuary for seals, Cape Barren geese, rock parrots and the Stormy petrel.

[10] The island has a perimeter consisting of granite over which ‘a flat upper plateau’ of calcarenite sits and which supports ‘a thick soil bed’.

Tussock grass and nitre bush is present in locations where thinner soils lying over underlying ridges of rock.

Weed species were represented by African box thorn, common iceplant, and grasses such as red brome and rat's-tail fescue.

It was suggested that these weed species have been successful due to various attempts to develop a pasture on the island suitable for grazing.

[15] The island was one of several first sighted by Europeans on Saturday, 20 February 1802, from HMS Investigator whilst under the command of Matthew Flinders entered what is now Spencer Gulf.