Kailua was established by King Kamehameha I to be his seat of government (he originally was the chief of Kona, before unifying more and more of the archipelago under his rule), and the capital of the newly unified Kingdom of Hawai?i.

(The capital was later moved to Lahaina, then, to Honolulu.) Royal fishponds at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park were the hub of unified Hawaiian culture. More recently this region has undergone a real-estate and construction boom fueled by tourism and investment.

Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located on the island of Hawai?i in the U.S. state of Hawai?i. The park was established in 1978 for the preservation, protection and interpretation of traditional native Hawaiian activities and culture.

Early in its history, the Kingdom of Hawai?i was governed from several locations including coastal towns on the islands of both Hawai?i and Maui. Kailua was chosen by Kamehameha I to be his seat of government, and the capital of the newly unified Kingdom of Hawai?i.
(The capital was later moved to Lahaina, then, to Honolulu.)

Kaloko-Honokohau is the site of an ancient Hawaiian settlement which encompasses portions of four different ahupua?a, or traditional mountain-to-sea land divisions. Resources include fishponds, kahua (house site platforms), ki?i pohaku (petroglyphs), holua (stone slide) and heiau (religious site).