Days Bay was originally called Hawtrey Bay. It was settled by George and Anne Day and their family, who had emigrated in 1841 from Kent aboard the Arab. William Tod appears to have employed George Day to look after his interests in the area while he went south. They had permission to cut and sell firewood and timber. The Days built their house in the bay and operated a schooner that ferried early settlers between the Hutt Valley and Wellington. After their house was severely damaged by an earthquake, the Day family left the bay in November 1849 aboard the schooner Flirt, which was captained by their eldest son George Fredrick Day, and sailed to Lyttelton in Canterbury, where the settlement of Christchurch took place. By December 1849 the family had settled in Sumner and George Day had become a road construction overseer, while the rest of the family appears to have continued their firewood, timber and shipping activities.

Days Bay has particular associations with the young Katherine Mansfield, as her parents owned a holiday house in the bay. The story "At the Bay" was based on her experiences of staying in Days Bay as a child.

The wharf in Days Bay was built by brothers Maurice (aka Morris) and John Kleinjan, who immigrated from the Netherlands and set up a successful construction company. The first step onto the wharf has Kleinjan Brothers carved into the concrete.

Wikipedia articles for Days Bay

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