Lanai and Niihau are the only well-known Hawaiian islands owned by privately, as of 2010. Lanai is presently owned by Castle & Cooke, and the company developed several large hotels on the scenic island; Niihau has been owned by a single family since the mid-1800s.There are a couple of smaller, lesser-known Hawaiian atolls and land formations that have private owners or are for sale, however.
Lanai, "The Pineapple Island"
Lanai, or Lana'i, is the most secluded of the main Hawaiian islands, once the site of a Dole Pineapple plantation. Dole's owner, James Dole, spent $1.1 million to purchase the island, which remained the site of Dole Pineapple operations until the mid 1980s. In the early 1990s, pineapple production came to a halt on Lanai, and the company that owns Dole--Castle & Cooke--began phasing in tourism. Two major resorts occupy the 140-square-mile island in 2010: the Lodge at Koele and the Manele Bay Hotel, as well as two world-class golf clubs. Locals live mostly in Lanai City, and make a living working at one of the resorts.
Niihau, "The Forbidden Island"
Niihau is a 72-square-mile island located 17 miles off the coast of Kauai, currently owned by the Robinson family. The family--descendents of original owner Elizabeth Sinclair--bought the land in 1864, when the island was auctioned off by Hawaiian King Kamehameha V for $10,000. Sinclair desired to protect native Hawaiian culture and customs, and her legacy largely remained intact. Hawaiian is still the island's dominant language, and the island's 250 residents mainly consists of native Hawaiians living in the town of Puuwai. Niihau residents live without running water, cars, and electricity. They subsist by raising cattle, selling valuable shells found on the island, and by working on the Robinson family ranch. For outsiders, the only way to reach the island is by chartering a helicopter from the Niihau Helicopter Company, owned by the Robinsons.
Minor Hawaiian Properties
There are no other large privately-owned Hawaiian islands, though there are many smaller land formations and atolls--like the Palmyra Atoll and Johnston Atoll-- hat are owned privately or are up for sale occasionally. Johnston Atoll, a former nuclear testing site comprised of several small man-made islands and a coral reef, was listed for sale by the U.S. government in 2006.
Tags: Hawaiian islands, Dole Pineapple, land formations, owned privately, Robinson family