Pitt Island
| Rangiaotea (Moriori) Rangiauria (Māori) |
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Pitt Island from space
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| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 44°17′S 176°13′W / 44.283°S 176.217°WCoordinates: 44°17′S 176°13′W / 44.283°S 176.217°W |
| Archipelago | Chatham Islands |
| Area | 65 km2 (25 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Pitt Island is the second largest island in the Chatham Archipelago, New Zealand. It is called Rangiauria in Māori and Rangiaotea in Moriori.
Pitt Island has an area of 65 square kilometres (25 sq mi). It lies about 770 kilometres (480 mi) to the east of New Zealand's main islands, and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the southeast of Chatham Island, from which it is separated by Pitt Strait. The island is hilly; its highest point (Waihere Head) rises to 231 metres (758 ft) above sea level. As of 2011[update], Pitt Island had a population of about 38 people.
Pitt Island's Kahuitara Point is the first populated location on earth to observe a sunrise in each new year, based on local time zone.
Pitt Island was originally inhabited by the Moriori, the indigenous peoples of the Chatham Islands, who called it Rangiaotea or Rangihaute. Their archaeological remains are found almost everywhere on the island; large quantities of artifacts are constantly coming to light. No remains of momori rakau are visible on the island, but there are records of them once being present
The first Europeans to see and name Chatham Island were the crew of William Robert Broughton's ship HMS Chatham. However, they did not see Pitt Island. The first to do so was Captain Charles Johnston on HMS Cornwallis in May 1807. He named it 'Pitt's Island' after William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. In 1840, the name was simplified to "Pitt" Island. Taranaki Maori who invaded the Chatham Islands in 1835 called it Rangiauria, a name which is still in use today.
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