Auckland History

Around 1350, Māori settlers established themselves on the Auckland isthmus, recognizing the area's fertile land. Numerous pā (fortified villages) were constructed, primarily atop volcanic peaks. By the early 1700s, Te Waiohua, a coalition of tribes like Ngā Oho, Ngā Riki, and Ngā Iwi, emerged as a dominant force on the Auckland isthmus, with key pā situated at Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill, Māngere Mountain, and Maungataketake. The confederation's influence waned around 1741 following the demise of paramount chief Kiwi Tāmaki in battle against Ngāti Whātua hapū Te Taoū chief Te Waha-akiaki. Subsequently, from the 1740s onward, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei rose to prominence on the Auckland isthmus. Before European arrival, the Māori population in the region was estimated at around 20,000. The introduction of firearms in the late 18th century disrupted the power balance, sparking intertribal conflicts from 1807 onwards and prompting vulnerable iwi to seek refuge from coastal raids.

On March 20, 1840, paramount chief Apihai Te Kawau of Ngāti Whātua signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the Manukau Harbour area where his tribe resided. Seeking British protection from Ngāpuhi and desiring a reciprocal relationship with the Crown and Church, Ngāti Whātua made a strategic gift of 3,500 acres (1,400 hectares) on Waitematā Harbour to Governor William Hobson for Auckland's establishment as the new capital named after George Eden, Earl of Auckland. Auckland was officially founded on September 18, 1840, declared New Zealand's capital in 1841, and saw administrative transfer from Russell to Auckland completed by 1842. Despite Wellington being favored for its proximity to the South Island even in 1840, it became the capital in 1865. Following its demotion as capital, Auckland remained pivotal in the Auckland Province until the provincial system's abolition in 1876.

In response to Hōne Heke's rebellion in the mid-1840s, retired British soldiers and their families were encouraged to migrate to Auckland for defense purposes against potential threats. By 1848 when the first Fencibles arrived post-Northern War conclusion, defensive settlements were established southwards from Onehunga to Howick. These settlements housed armed settlers prepared for emergencies while focusing on land cultivation and infrastructure development.

During the early 1860s, Auckland served as a base against the Māori King Movement with an influx of Imperial soldiers bolstering local commerce. This military presence coupled with extensive road construction towards Waikato facilitated Pākehā influence expansion from Auckland. The city experienced rapid population growth from 1,500 in 1841 to 3,635 in 1845 and surged to 12,423 by 1864. Similar to other trade-centric cities of that era, growth centered around the port led to issues like overcrowding and pollution. Notably diverse with about half its population being Irish ex-soldiers compared to English settlers predominant in other regions like Wellington or Christchurch; early settlers often benefited from subsidized passage to New Zealand.

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