Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill |
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Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill, in 2015.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 182 m (597 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | North Island, New Zealand |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | About 67,000 years |
| Volcanic arc/belt | Auckland volcanic field |
Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill is a 182-metre (597 ft) high volcano in Auckland, New Zealand. It is also known as a Tūpuna Maunga, which means an ancestral mountain. This place is very important for both Māori and Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent). The area around the mountain is also called One Tree Hill.
From the top of Maungakiekie, you can see amazing views of Auckland. You can even see both of Auckland's harbours! The volcano erupted about 67,000 years ago. It has three craters, and its lava flows covered a large area of 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi). This makes it the second biggest volcano in the Auckland volcanic field by area.
Contents
History of Maungakiekie
Māori History of the Mountain
Before Europeans arrived, Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill was the largest pā (a fortified village or hillfort) in the Auckland area. The Māori name Maungakiekie means "mountain of the kiekie vine." The terraces you can still see on the hill were built by the Ngāti Awa chief Tītahi in the 1600s.
The very top of the mountain, called the tihi, was a special place. The umbilical cord of a Ngāti Awa leader named Korokino was buried there. A sprig from a tōtara tree was planted on top. This led to another name for the mountain: Te Tōtara-i-āhua, meaning "The Tōtara That Stands Alone."
Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill is linked to the Waiohua group of tribes. They were powerful in the 1600s and 1700s. During the time of their third main chief, Kiwi Tāmaki, the Waiohua tribes were very strong and united. The Auckland region was one of the most populated parts of New Zealand back then. It's thought that up to 5,000 people lived on and around the mountain.
Kiwi Tāmaki moved the main Waiohua power centre from Maungawhau / Mount Eden to Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill. Near the summit, there was a huge greenstone gong called Whakarewa-tāhuna. Kiwi Tāmaki used it to call warriors from the Auckland area to gather. The southern slopes of the mountain were used for large kūmara (sweet potato) gardens.
The Waiohua rule ended in the 1740s after a war with the Te Taoū group of Ngāti Whātua. After the war, Te Taoū settled in the area. Their chief Tuperiri built a pā called Hikurangi below the summit. This pā was left around 1795 when Tuperiri died. Even though Maungakiekie was no longer the main centre for Ngāti Whātua, it remained an important part of their tribal land.
European History of the Mountain
In 1844, Ngāti Whātua chiefs sold some land, including Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill, to a merchant named Thomas Henry. Most of this land became a Crown reserve in 1847. This reserve is now known as the One Tree Hill Domain.
In 1853, two Auckland businessmen, John Logan Campbell and William Brown, bought the rest of Henry's land. Campbell renamed the farm the One Tree Hill Estate. For the next 20 years, they used the farm for cattle, sheep, and growing potatoes.
John Logan Campbell returned to Auckland in 1874. He decided to give the One Tree Hill Estate to the public. In 1901, Campbell officially handed over the land to the public. This happened during a visit from the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, who later became King George V and Queen Mary of Teck.
One Tree Hill Domain
The One Tree Hill Domain is a large park, about 118 acres (48 ha) in size. It is owned by the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective, also known as the Tāmaki Collective. The park is managed by the Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority (Tūpuna Maunga Authority). The One Tree Hill Domain is next to Cornwall Park, which is 425 acres (172 ha). Together, they form a huge public green space of 540 acres (220 ha).
You can always walk to the top of the hill. However, to prevent problems like vandalism, the road to the summit was closed to vehicles at night in 2008. In March 2019, the summit road was permanently closed to most vehicles. This was done because the mountain is very important to Māori and for the safety of people walking there.
The city has also used the hill for its water reservoirs because it is high up and central. Several underground reservoirs were built there. They help supply water to the Onehunga area and other reservoirs in Auckland.
Cornwall Park
Cornwall Park is next to the One Tree Hill Domain. Sir John Logan Campbell also gave this park to a special trust. This trust holds the land for everyone to use.
Treaty Settlement
In 2014, a Treaty of Waitangi settlement happened between the New Zealand government and 13 Auckland iwi (tribes) and hapu (sub-tribes). This group is called the Tāmaki Collective. As part of this agreement, the ownership of 14 ancestral mountains in Auckland, including Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill, was given to the Tāmaki Collective. The law says that the land should be held "for the common benefit of Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau and the other people of Auckland."
The Tūpuna Maunga Authority (TMA) was set up to manage these 14 mountains. Auckland Council helps manage the mountains under the direction of the TMA.
Features to Explore
The Obelisk Monument
At the very top of Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill, there is a tall, pointed monument called an obelisk. This obelisk is a memorial to Māori people. In front of it stands a bronze statue of a Māori warrior. The obelisk was finished in 1940, but its official opening was delayed until after World War II in 1948. This was because Māori custom says such ceremonies should not happen during wartime.
Below the obelisk is the grave of Sir John Logan Campbell. He left money in his will for the obelisk to be built. His grave is a simple stone slab.
Stardome Observatory
The Stardome Observatory, also known as the Auckland Observatory, is located within the One Tree Hill Domain. It has two telescopes and a planetarium. The observatory has even discovered and named an asteroid called 19620 Auckland. Today, the observatory offers fun and educational experiences through its planetarium and allows the public to use one of its telescopes. It also continues to do research with both telescopes.
Trees on the Summit
During the Waiohua period (1600s-1700s), the summit of the mountain was known for having a single tōtara tree.
When Auckland was first settled by Europeans, a tree stood near the top that gave the mountain its English name. Some say it was a pōhutukawa tree. This tree was cut down by a European settler in 1852.
In 1875, John Logan Campbell planted an exotic Monterey pine tree to replace the lost native tree. He tried many times to grow native trees on the summit, but they didn't survive. Only two pine trees, which were meant to protect the native trees, grew for a long time. However, in 1960, one of these two pines was cut down.
The last remaining pine tree was attacked twice with chainsaws by Māori activists. They did this to bring attention to unfair things they felt the New Zealand government had done to Māori. The first attack was in 1994. A second attack in 2000 badly damaged the tree, and it had to be removed the next year because it was dangerous.
In 2016, a special ceremony was held on Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill. Nine young tōtara and pōhutukawa trees were planted. These trees were grown from parent trees already on the mountain. The plan is for the strongest of these trees to eventually become the single tree on the summit, and kiekie vines will also be added.
In Popular Culture
- The Irish rock band U2 wrote a song about the hill called "One Tree Hill". It was on their album The Joshua Tree. They wrote it to remember Greg Carroll, a New Zealander who worked for the band and sadly died in an accident.
- The TV show One Tree Hill was named after the U2 song. One of the characters in the show, Andy Hargrove, is from New Zealand.
- An Asteroid called 23988 Maungakiekie was named after the hill. It was discovered at the Auckland Observatory, which is located in the One Tree Hill Domain.
- Mozilla Firefox 0.9 was named One Tree Hill by Ben Goodger, who was a lead engineer for Firefox and lived in Auckland.
- The American TV series One Tree Hill mentions One Tree Hill in Auckland. This happens when character Karen Roe dates Andy Hargrove (played by New Zealand actor Kieren Hutchison), and he talks about his home country of New Zealand.
- One Tree Hill has been featured on two seasons of the reality TV show The Amazing Race: The Amazing Race 2 and HaMerotz LaMillion 1.
Images for kids
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Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill, in 2015.
