island bay

Island Bay, Wellington's most southerly suburb, is named for the island of Taputeranga, which dominates the bay. The island was an important pā site in the past, but is now uninhabited. In the 1880s, farmland at Island Bay was subdivided for housing. Around the same time Italian fishermen settled there, forming a distinctive enclave. Island Bay’s sandy beach has long been popular for recreation.

Meaning of place name