Mutukaroa / Hamlins Hill Regional Park
Mutukaroa / 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.[1]
| Mutukaroa / Hamlins Hill Regional Park | |
|---|---|
 Looking east from Mutukaroa / Hamlins Hill Regional Park | |
| Location | Maungakiekie-Tāmaki, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36.920°S 174.832°E |
| Operated by | Auckland Council |
Geography
Mutukaroa / Hamlin Hill is the largest non-volcanic hill on the Auckland isthmus. It is formed from Waitemata sandstone, surrounded by much younger volcanic deposits.[2] The hill is 65 metres high.[3]
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 setled the isthmus in the 18th century.[4]
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.[2] For many years, the farmland on the hill was used as holding paddocks for the Westfield Freezing Works.[2] 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.[2]
The hill was officially gazetted as Mutukaroa / Hamlin Hill in 2014.[3]
Gallery
Entrance to the park
Sheep grazing on the fielded area at the top of Mutukaroa / Hamlin Hill
Forested tracks within the regional park
References
- "Council profile". aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. Auckland Council.
- 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.
- "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.