Walk 33, Cornwall Park, 16th May 2020
Cornwall Park is a working farm that surrounds One Tree Hill in Auckland City. It was gifted to the people of NZ by Sir Logan Campbell who is buried by the obelisk on the hill. This walk is with my friend Meredith on the first weekend after lock down.
History: John Logan Campbell, Auckland resident since 1840 gave the park’s 230 acres to a private trust on 10 June 1901. The adjoining Park Maungakiekie had been purchased by the national government in 1845 and since 2012 belongs to Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective. Source: Cornwall Park, Auckland
Walk: Auckland 30
Links
Maungakiekie was the stronghold of Kiwi Tāmaki, paramount chief of the Waihua iwi, or tribe, which dominated the area in the early 18th century. His pā housed about 4,000 warriors. You can still see the terracing and kumara pits from the pā today.
Kiwi Tāmaki and his iwi lived in relative peace until tensions with the neighbouring Te Taoū iwi erupted when he and his warriors killed members of Te Taoū at a funeral feast. This led to a battle at Paruroa, now known as Big Muddy Creek, on the Manukau Harbour. Kiwi Tāmaki was killed in the battle, which occurred around 1740.
By the time Europeans came to New Zealand, Maungakiekie pā had been abandoned and the mountain had also become known as Te Tōtara i Āhua, because of the single native tōtara tree that stood at the top.
Maungakiekie – One Tree Hill – Roadside Stories
Maungakiekie is the site of what is claimed to be the world’s largest prehistoric and neolithic earth fort, given that prehistoric and neolithic refer to Pre-European contact in New Zealand. It is located in the Auckland suburb of One Tree Hill.
There are lava caves under Maungakiekie, One Tree Hill.
Auckland’s Volcanic Caves :
In June 1907 the One Tree Hill Domain Board gave newspapermen an opportunity to visit the lava caves under Maungakiekie, One Tree Hill. Accompanied by the benefactor who gave the parkland to Auckland, Sir John Logan Campbell, officials and the reporters went first to the southern (Onehunga) side of Cornwall Park reserve near where today Sorrento is situated.
‘One Tree Hill‘ featured in a song by the band U2. The song was written in memory of NZ roadie Greg Carroll who became very close friends with lead singer Bono. Carroll was killed in July 1986 in a motorcycle accident in Dublin.
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