page_title: King Billy Island
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: King Billy Island / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Diamond Harbour, Canterbury, New Zealand
context_page_description: Aua / King Billy Island is a small island and Scenic Reserve in Lyttelton Harbour on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand.
context_section_description: Archaeological sites are recorded on the island showing evidence of quarries, landing sites, and middens. In pre-European times, the island was a source for Māori of coarse sandstone used for grinding stone including pounamu (greenstone). As such the island has cultural significance to Ngāi Tahu, especially to Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke (Rāpaki).  This sandstone was later quarried by colonists for the corners and facing of the Lyttelton Gaol, among other buildings.
  The area was included in Walter Mantell's controversial securing of the harbour (then called Port Cooper) and surrounding land for the Crown in 1849. In April 1858 the island was part of a purchase by Mark Stoddart, and was subsequently sold to Thomas Potts, then to William Rolleston for public purposes. It was owned by the Anderson until 1975, then sold to the Crown. In 1979 it was classified as a Recreation Reserve, but in 1980 this was changed to a Scenic Reserve.
caption: Panorama of Diamond Harbour. Aua / King Billy Island can be seen on the right side of much bigger Ōtamahua / Quail Island.
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