West Moore Island and its smaller sibling East Moore Island form part of the Forestier Archipelago discovered by Commander Nicholas Baudin in 1801. Baudin led the French 'voyages of discovery' with the vessels 'Geographe' and 'Naturalist' and is responsible for discovering and naming much of the coastline before Western Australia came into existence in 1829.

While Baudin named the prominent Islands in the group: spectacular Depuch Island and Ronsard and Sable Islands further east, West Moore and East Moore were left un-named. These two small sandy islands interspersed with sandstone outcrops and covered with coastal savannah are connected by a natural sand spit at low tide. On a low 'spring' tide beach combing around East Moore Island is a must.

While Lieutenant Phillip Parker King traveled through the region in HMS Mermaid in 1820, due to lost anchors and a leaking condition, no survey of the area was conducted.

It was not until HMS Beagle returned to Australia in 1837 under Commander J.C Wickham for the purpose of exploration and survey to fill in the gaps left by King that Depuch Island was again visited. Over the next 5 years HMS Beagle visited several times to collect water. The rock carving by the Beagles mate, Crawford Pasco in 1840 can be seen today on Anchor Hill above Beagle Beach on the east of the Island.

It is not until a Hydrograghic Survey conducted in 1908 that West and East Moore Islands are finally named most probably after Commander W.U Moore RN who carried out earlier survey work in the region.

The detailed hydrographic survey of 1908 was conducted by S.S Penguin for the Harbour and Light Department (WA) in order to establish the port of Balla Balla to service the Whim Creek copper mine and to load wool from the surrounding pastoral leases.

There are several wrecks in the vicinity of Depuch Island including the Schooner 'Agnes' in 1892 and the S.S 'Eddystone' in 1894. Also the Swedish ship, 'Crown of England' was lost in a cyclone in 1912 together with 5 pearling luggers.