It was named 'The Bench' by Captain James Cook.

[2] Bench Island was previously known as Run 538.

[4] The name of Bench Island originates from Captain James Cook, who named the island 'The Bench'.

[1] A newspaper from 1930 attributes the name Te Wahi-taua to "tradition asserts a war party were forced to land there, presumably on a voyage from Ruapuke to The Neck, but the writer could not get particulars.

"[5] This Southland Region geography article is a stub.