In the early 19th century, there were Māori battles fought on Native Island.[6] The island was deserted in the 1840s after visiting ships brought measles, triggering a deadly epidemic.[7] Survivors held a korero and agreed to set fire to their homes before leaving the island.[7]
In the Antarctic Southern Cross Expedition in 1898–1900, 92 huskies, Samoyeds and Greenland Esquimaux dogs were held in Native Island (with government reluctance) for temporary quarantine and examination.[8][9][10][11] Due to quarantine regulations, most of the dogs were killed, but a few were kept under permission from MP Joseph Ward on the premise that they could be used for a future expedition.[12][13][14] Nine descendants of these dogs were used in Ernest Shackleton's 1907–1909 Nimrod Expedition.[10][15]
In 1927 a large piece of ambergris was found on the island.[16] The following year, the whaler C. A. Larsen, a Norwegian factory ship, was towed and beached near Native Island after it went aground at Whero Rock.[7] The ship's tanks leaked 2,000 tons of whale oil into the sea, causing long-term damage to the shell beds off Ringaringa Beach on Stewart Island.[7]
In 1944 it was reported that there were rabbits in Native Island after being released in Stewart Island a year prior. The rabbits were described like a pest—eating exposed roots of trees;[17] there were also goats, but it has been reported that neither now inhabit the island.[18] In 2013 the Department of Conservation started a rat-trap test on Native Island, planting around 140 self-setting Goodnature A24 traps which were checked every 4 to 5 weeks in order to control the island's ship and Norway rat populations. A year later, sniffer dogs could not detect any rats on the island.[15][19]
In 2021 it was considered to put a wind farm on Native Island, but this was ultimately scrapped due to the difficulty of making the transmission route, anticipated lack of wind, that half of the island is a national park, and cultural value that is associated with Native Island.[20]
