Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ōtāhuhu |
|
|---|---|
| Mount Richmond | |
The northern crater of Mount Richmond.
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 90 m (300 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | North Island, New Zealand |
| Geology | |
| Volcanic arc/belt | Auckland volcanic field |
Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond is a special place in Auckland, New Zealand. It is one of the many volcanoes that make up the Auckland volcanic field. This volcano is made up of several small hills called scoria mounds. It also has two wide craters, which are like big bowls in the ground.
Long ago, this volcano was home to a Māori fortified village known as a pā. You can still see signs of this history today, like old storage pits for kumara (a type of sweet potato) and flat areas called terraces where people lived. The nearby suburb of Otahuhu gets its name from this important volcano.
What is Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond?
Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond is a volcano, but it doesn't look like a tall, pointy mountain. Instead, it's a group of smaller hills, or mounds, made of a rocky material called scoria. Scoria is a dark, bubbly rock that forms when lava cools quickly. These mounds can be up to 50 meters (about 164 feet) high.
The volcano also has two craters, each about 50 meters wide. These are the openings where volcanic material once erupted. Even though it's a volcano, it hasn't erupted in a very long time.
A Place of History: The Pā
For many years, Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond was an important site for Māori people. It was used as a pā, which was a fortified village or settlement. Pā were often built on hills or other naturally protected places to help defend the people living there.
The Māori people shaped the land to suit their needs. They dug pits to store food like kumara, keeping it safe and cool. They also created flat areas, known as terraces, on the sides of the mounds. These terraces were used for homes, gardens, and other daily activities. These earthworks are still visible today and show us how people lived on the volcano centuries ago.
Sharing Ownership: The Treaty Settlement
In 2014, a special agreement was made about Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond. This agreement was part of a Treaty of Waitangi settlement. The Treaty of Waitangi is a founding document of New Zealand, signed between Māori chiefs and the British Crown in 1840. Settlements like this aim to address historical wrongs and return land or rights to Māori groups.
In this settlement, the ownership of Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond was given to the Tamaki Makaurau Collective. This group represents 13 different iwi (Māori tribes) from the Auckland area. Now, the volcano is managed together by this collective and the Auckland Council. This shared management is for the benefit of the iwi and all other people who live in Auckland. It means that decisions about the volcano are made together, respecting both its cultural importance and its value to the wider community.
