History
Māori occupied the island for centuries prior to the first European visits, probably first settling on the island between 1350 and 1650 CE. The initial occupation was by descendants of Toi te Huatahi, followed by Tainui who were then conquered by the Ngāti Wai. Only a few Ngāti Wai were still living on the island by 1881 and the British Crown attempted to buy the island in order to turn it into a nature reserve. When this purchase fell through, the island was instead appropriated through an Act of Parliament in 1894 and became New Zealand's first nature reserve the following year. Since 1897 there has always been a caretaker or ranger resident on the island.
Access is heavily restricted for conservation reasons, and the island is uninhabited except for rotational conservation staff, scientists and rangers under the authority of the Department of Conservation. Electricity for their needs, provided until 2005 by a diesel generator linked to a battery bank, has since been replaced by twenty 175-watt solar panels, with the generator remaining solely for backup. Over the expected 20-year life-span, the system is expected to generate fuel savings sufficient to replace its purchase costs.
Read more about this topic: Little Barrier Island
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