Pakatoa Island, previously known as Bell's Island, is one of the

islands This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water, and by other classifications. For rank-order lists, see the #Other lists of islands, other lists of islands below. Lists of islands by count ...

located in the

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, covering . The island is owned by New Zealand businessman, John Ramsay.

History

The 23rd September 1826, is the first record of land purchase for Pakatoa Island, by the

New Zealand Company The New Zealand Company, chartered in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom, was a company that existed in the first half of the 19th century on a business model that was focused on the systematic colonisation of New Ze ...

.Three other Islands were purchased at this time, Ponui Island, Rotorua Island and

Pakihi Island Pakihi Island is a privately-owned island located in the Hauraki Gulf to the east of the city of Auckland, New Zealand. With an area of , it is one of the smallest of the Hauraki Gulf Islands. It is located 1 km southwest of Ponui Island, a ...

. The deed of purchase shows that the land was sold for one double-barreled gun, eight muskets, and one barrel of gunpowder. The deed was translated and signed by New Zealand missionary,

Thomas Kendall Thomas Kendall (13 December 1778 – 6 August 1832) was a schoolmaster, an early missionary to Māori people in New Zealand, and a recorder of the Māori language. An evangelical Anglican, he and his family were in the first group of mission ...

, and witnessed by three men from the New Zealand Company ship ''Rosanna'' and 15 Māori. The island was then purchased in 1907 by the

Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

and used as an alcohol treatment centre for men for two years before a larger rehabilitation centre was built on Rotoroa Island. Pakatoa Island then became a women's only rehabilitation facility. From 1943 it became a rest home for the elderly. In 1949 the island was bought at public auction for £5800 by Mr J. L. Faulkner, with intention to use for farming. For almost 20 years, from the 1960s to 1980s, the island was used as a resort. Development on the island included a tourist resort, a landing strip and a nine-hole golf course. Actor

Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor and film director. Russell Crowe filmography, His work on screen has earned him List of awards and nominations received by Russell Crowe, various accolades, including an Academy Award, two Gold ...

once worked at the resort in his youth. John Ramsey purchased the island in 1994 for $4.25m NZD.

References

Islands of the Hauraki Gulf Private islands of New Zealand Islands of the Auckland Region Populated places in the Auckland Region Populated places around the Hauraki Gulf {{Auckland-geo-stub