| King Billy Island | |
| Native Name: | Aua |
| Native Name Link: | Māori language |
| Native Name Lang: | mi |
| Nickname: | --> |
| Coordinates: | -43.635°N 172.6857°W |
| Location: | Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō |
| Area M2: | 3642 |
| Length M: | 122 |
| Width M: | 72 |
| Coastline M: | --> |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Country Admin Divisions Title: | Region |
| Country Admin Divisions: | Canterbury |
| Country Area M2: | or |
| Country Area Ha: | --> |
| Country1 Area M2: | or |
| Country1 Area Ha: | --> |
King Billy Island (; officially Aua / King Billy Island) is a small island and Scenic Reserve in Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand.
The island is situated between Ōtamahua / Quail Island (some away[1]) and Moepuku Point, a peninsula between Teddington and Charteris Bay, off Banks Peninsula.[2]
The island is approximately long and metres wide, covering an estimated at mean high water mark. It is composed of Charteris Bay Sandstone, with a thin layer of soil supporting forest.[3]
The Māori name is considered to mean "no name". The origin of the English name is unknown: it might refer to a comic book character, King William IV, or an Aboriginal Australian whaler Billy Lanny.[3]
Archaeological sites are recorded on the island showing evidence of quarries, landing sites, and middens.[3] In pre-European times, the island was a source for Māori of coarse sandstone used for grinding stone including pounamu (greenstone).[4] As such the island has cultural significance to Ngāi Tahu, especially to Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke, based at Te Rāpaki-o-Te Rakiwhakaputa.[3] This sandstone was later quarried by colonists for the corners and facing of the Lyttelton Gaol, among other buildings.[3]
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.[3] 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.[3] It was owned by the Anderson until 1975, then sold to the Crown.[3] In 1979 it was classified as a Recreation Reserve, but in 1980 this was changed to a Scenic Reserve.[3]