The bay was traditionally called Opou by
Tāmaki Māori, literally meaning "the place of posts". The bay became known as French Bay in the 1920s, however the reason for this is unknown.[1] In the early 20th century, the bay became a popular destination for Aucklanders, undertaking day trips.[2] Painter
Colin McCahon lived close to French Bay from 1953 to 1960,[3] and many of his works depict the bay.[4] McCahon's home later became McCahon House, a museum and gallery space.[3]
The beach has variable water quality,[5] and in 2020 was listed as one of the 10 least safe beaches for swimming in the Auckland Region.[6]
^"French Bay". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
^Harvey, Bruce; Harvey, Trixie (2009). "That Noble Sheet of Water". In
Macdonald, Finlay; Kerr, Ruth (eds.). West: The History of Waitakere. Random House. p. 93.
ISBN9781869790080.
^
abEdmond, Martin (2020). "A family plot". Journal of New Zealand Studies (31): 148–153.
ISSN1176-306X.
^Smythe, Luke (2020). "Let us possess one world: McCahon, abstraction and transversal art history". Journal of New Zealand Studies (31): 128–147.
ISSN1176-306X.