Quarantine Island (also known as Kamau Taurua and officially gazetted as Quarantine Island / Kamau Taurua), is the largest island in Otago Harbour, close to the city of

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

, New Zealand. The island covers an area of , and is a publicly accessible recreation reserve. The buildings on the island are owned by Quarantine Island / Kamau Taurua Community Incorporated (QIKTC). Its management is shared between QIKTC and the

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

. A smaller island, Rakiriri, lies close to Quarantine Island. Both islands lie across the harbour between the town of Port Chalmers and the

marine laboratory Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynami ...

Portobello Peninsula Portobello is a village beside the Otago Harbour halfway along the Otago Peninsula in Dunedin City, New Zealand. It lies at the foot of a small peninsula (Portobello Peninsula) between Portobello Bay and Latham Bay. Like scores of Dunedin f ...

, part of the Otago Peninsula.

Names

The island has been known by a number of names, including St Martin Island. In 1996 as part of the Ngāi Tahu Treaty of Waitangi settlement the name of ''Kamau Taurua'', meaning 'a place to set nets' was restored as part of the official name of ''Quarantine Island/Kamau Taurua''.

History

The island served as the

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

station for

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

from 1863 until 1924. It was one of four in New Zealand. When ships arrived in Otago harbour with infectious diseases, passengers were quarantined for that disease, usually one to two weeks, but sometimes longer. The few passengers that were actually sick were treated in the hospital on top of the island. In total 41 ships were quarantined at the island. Of about 9,000 people quarantined about 70 died. There is a small cemetery on the island where they and some of the keeper's family are buried. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, soldiers who had venereal diseases (either diagnosed when they volunteered or acquired abroad) were treated on the island, then called the 'Port Chalmers Military Hospital'. However, most New Zealand soldiers with VD were treated overseas. Only one of the main quarantine buildings from these years has survived, and this is now saved. The island has a Heritage New Zealand Historic Area classification. After the quarantine station closed in 1924 the buildings were sold and island was leased. File:Quarantine Island chapel exterior.jpg, Exterior of the chapel File:Married couples quarters, Quarantine Island.jpg, Restored married couples' quarters File:Chapel interior, Quarantine Island.jpg, Interior of the chapel, with a view towards

Taiaroa Head Taiaroa Head is a headland at the end of the Otago Peninsula in New Zealand, overlooking the mouth of the Otago Harbour. It lies within the city limits of Dunedin. The nearest settlement, Otakou, lies three kilometres to the south. The cape is h ...

Visitors

Now the area around the buildings is leased by QIKTC, established in 1958 as St Martin Island Community, and the remainder jointly managed by the Community and the

. The resident keeper welcomes visitors to St Martin Lodge, and oversees a wide range of ecological, educational, historical and cultural projects. __NOTOC__

Notes

References

* Peat, N & Patrick, B (2002) Wild Dunedin, University of Otago Press, Dunedin * Russell and McGeorge, P (2004) New Zealand's Islands, Bateman. * Herd, J. & Griffiths, G.J. (1980). ''Discovering Dunedin''. John McIndoe. . * Hancock, L (2008) ''Quarantine Island / Kamau Taurua (St Martin Island) A short history'' St Martin Island Community, Dunedin.

External links