One of the most significant pieces of historic Great Barrier Island real estate has come to market, as the 12-hectare Le Roy estate at 140 Kaiaraara Bay Road is offered for sale.
The Rarohara Bay property represents a rare connection to the island’s past. It was the long-time home of Emilius Le Roy, the son of a famous Auckland sailmaker, who established a farm on the site around 1880. For nearly 40 years, the location served as the nerve centre for the North Barrier, housing the Port Fitzroy Post Office, a store, and a schoolroom.
The sale features a cottage built around 1910, which stands as one of the oldest homes on the island still in good condition. The building followed a more turbulent chapter in the property’s history when the original family homestead was destroyed by fire in 1902. In a testament to the community spirit of the era, islanders began rebuilding a replacement home in just one week after a pigeongram was dispatched to the mainland to request timber from the Kauri Timber Company.
The current listing describes the surviving structure as a “modest 1920s cottage” that “sits on the property, reflecting its early heritage and providing a base for immediate use while future plans are considered.”
Marketing for the property highlights its massive scale and “significant development and subdivision potential.” The landholding is described as a “blank canvas for future development” that is “ideally suited to subdivision, a multi-dwelling concept, or the creation of a landmark waterfront estate.”
Positioned within Port Fitzroy, the property is “protected by Quoin Island” and “enjoys a peaceful coastal setting with natural protection from prevailing winds.” Modern accessibility is a major feature, with the listing noting it is “easily accessible by land and sea” via road access and a “private jetty with deep mooring.”
The estate also features a “soft sandy beach” that “further enhances the appeal, offering direct access to the water for boating, fishing, and leisure.”
Port Fitzroy is noted as “the largest natural harbour in the Hauraki Gulf and a renowned yachting destination.” The real estate agents suggest that “large-scale waterfront holdings of this nature are increasingly rare” and that the sale “presents a compelling opportunity to unlock value and create something truly special.”
The Le Roy family’s tenure on the land spanned generations. Following Emilius’s death in 1944, the farm was run by his son Selwyn and daughter Agnes, known to locals as Girlie. Girlie remained on the property until 1979, marking a century of family ownership. While the original farm has been subdivided over the years, the waterfront section and its 116-year-old cottage remain an enduring part of the historic estate.
