Waiatarua Reserve

Lake Waiatarua in 1918

The former lake-site in 1946, showing the Remuera Golf Course

Lake Waiatarua formed after the eruption of Maungarei / Mount Wellington, when a lava flow blocked the flow of a river valley which flowed into the Tāmaki River, approximately 9,000 years ago.[1][2]

The traditional Tāmaki Māori name for the lake, Waiatarua, means the "Waters of Reflection".[1] The lake was an important freshwater resource for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, prior to European settlement.[3] During the early colonial period of New Zealand, it was named Lake St John.[1]

The land adjoining the lake was acquired by Bishop Selwyn in 1851, as a part of the grounds of the St John's College.[2] In the 1870s, it was considered as a source for drinking water for the city of Auckland, however this plan did not eventuate.[2]

In 1908 the Waiatarua Drainage Board was formed, intending to drain the swamplands around the lake,[2] despite wide public opposition to the plan.[1] A tunnel was constructed underneath Remuera Road, in order to drain the lake into the Ōrākei Basin, which was completed by 1929.[2][1] In 1934, the Remuera Golf Club was established on leased land to the east of the site of the drained lake.[4][2]

In 1987, the reserve was developed into an artificial wetland.[1] It is currently the largest wetland restoration project in New Zealand,[5] and in 2006 Auckland City won the Arthur Mead Environmental Award due to the restoration efforts.[2]