Native name: Rīpapa (Māori) | |
|---|---|
 Fort Jervois | |
  Ripapa Island Location of Ripapa Island | |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 43°37′12″S 172°45′16″E / 43.6201°S 172.7544°E |
| Administration | |
New Zealand | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
| Official name | Fort Jervois |
| Designated | 22 August 1991 |
| Reference no. | 5306 |
Ripapa Island (Māori: Rīpapa), also known earlier as Ripa Island,[1] located just off the shore of Lyttelton Harbour, has played many roles in the history of New Zealand. A Māori fortified pā there played a key role in an internal struggle for the South Island Ngāi Tahu tribe in the early 19th century. Between 1873 and 1885, the island hosted a quarantine station, which was also used as a temporary prison for members of the Parihaka Māori settlement in Taranaki. Fort Jervois was built in 1886 as part of system of defences against a feared Russian invasion. The fort was in military use until the end of World War I, and again during World War II. It is the most complete Russian-scare fort still existing in New Zealand.
- ^ "Ripapa Island". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 14 December 2021.