Mutukāroa / Hamlins Hill Regional Park
| Mutukāroa / Hamlins Hill Regional Park | |
|---|---|
 Looking east from Mutukaroa / Hamlins Hill Regional Park | |
| Location | Maungakiekie-Tāmaki, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36°55′12″S 174°49′55″E / 36.920°S 174.832°E / -36.920; 174.832 |
| Area | 48 ha (120 acres)[1] |
| Operated by | Auckland Council |
Mutukāroa / Hamlins Hill Regional Park is a regional park situated in the Auckland suburb of Penrose in New Zealand's North Island. It is situated in Maungakiekie-Tāmaki, north-east of the Manukau Harbour and west of the Tāmaki River. The park is owned and operated by Auckland Council.[2]
Geography
Mutukāroa / Hamlins Hill is the largest non-volcanic hill on the Auckland isthmus. It is formed from Waitemata sandstone, surrounded by much younger volcanic deposits.[3] The hill is 65 metres high.[4]
The regional park is predominantly made up of two European farms, Hamlin's Farm and Penrose Farm.[1]
History
Mutukaroa is the site of one of the largest kāinga (undefended settlements) on the Tāmaki isthmus, surrounded by vast kūmara gardens. During the Waiohua period, the hill was a residence for Ngāi Tai, who continued to occupy the hill after Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei settled the isthmus in the 18th century.[5]
The name Hamlin(s) Hill comes from James Hamlin, a reverend of the Church Missionary Society, who received the land as part of a Crown land grant in the 1840s.[3] For many years, the farmland on the hill was used as holding paddocks for the Westfield Freezing Works.[3] The hill was planned for demolition in the 1960s, as a part of a plan to reclaim 30 hectares of land from the Manukau Harbour. The hill was saved after a public outcry and court action.[3]
Since the early 2000s, native trees have been planted on the hill.[1] The hill was officially gazetted as Mutukaroa / Hamlin Hill in 2014.[4]
Gallery
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Entrance to the park
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Sheep grazing on the fielded area at the top of Mutukaroa / Hamlin Hill
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Forested tracks within the regional park
References
- ^ a b c Janssen, Peter (January 2021). Greater Auckland Walks. New Holland Publishers. p. 104-105. ISBN 978-1-86966-516-6. Wikidata Q118136068.
- ^ "Council profile". aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. Auckland Council.
- ^ a b c d Cameron, Ewen; Hayward, Bruce; Murdoch, Graeme (2008). A Field Guide to Auckland: Exploring the Region's Natural and Historical Heritage (Revised ed.). Random House New Zealand. p. 238. ISBN 978-1-86962-1513.
- ^ a b "Mutukaroa / Hamlin Hill". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ "Auckland Unitary Plan: Appendix 21 Treaty settlement legislation – Statutory acknowledgements" (PDF). Auckland Council. 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2022.