[6] The southernmost shores of the bay were known as Okawau, referencing the Little black cormorant (kawau) that would congregate here.

[7][8] The Little Shoal Bay area was used for fishing and gathering shellfish, and was the location of kāinga, gardens, and a wāhi tapu.

[9] Te Onewa Pā was constructed at the Northcote headland to the south of Little Shoal Bay, was prized for its strategic location and view over the Waitematā Harbour, and protected fisheries and kūmara gardens of the nearby volcanic soil.

[13] From 1848, a soap and candle factory was established on Sulphur Beach,[13] and other early industries included timber milling and kauri gum digging.

[15][16] In 1902, the Birkenhead and Northcote Gas Company established a gasworks at Little Shoal Bay.

[9] By the 1920s, the gas works had become the biggest sole employer for the Northcote Borough,[17] and in the 1950s the gasworks was shut down.