Rua de Camilo Pessanha, formerly named as Rua do Mastro, was once where the north docking of the Inner Harbour situated. In early days, the area was covered in rocks and reeds, earning the area its local Chinese name "reed and rock pond". In the 1860s, the reed and rock pond was filled up by the Portuguese administration and the area was re-proposed, paving the way for its development into the city blocks that we see today.
After the area was filled up, the Portuguese administration changed the Chinese name of the street to Rua do Mastro. In 1926, the name was further changed to Rua de Camilo Pessanha in commemoration of the brilliant Portuguese teacher, judge, writer and poet Pessanha.