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Published 2005 by

Art Department

working in collaboration with

Maori Department

Penrose High School

Greenlane

Auckland

Introduction to Maungakiekie Marae.

‘From Maori traditions, such as those recorded by Mr Justice Fenton in 1868 it is learnt that the first known inhabitants

belonged to the Waiohua people, a group that included related sub-tribes; the Nga Iwi, the Nga Oho and Nga Riki.

By the middle of the 18th century (1750) the Waiohua had an outstanding leader named Kiwi Tamaki, who ruled over the

whole isthmus from his principal pa One Tree Hill or Maungakiekie.’ (1982) P10.

Lady Fox, (1982), describes ‘Maunga’ as hill, and ‘Kiekie’ as a ‘stong climbing plant’, the botanical name being, Freycinetia

banksii. This plant is a parasite on trees ( in the North Island bush). Maungakiekie therefore, is implied as a place which

was covered in bush. Maori used the leaves of the kiekie plant for plaiting into mats and baskets.

The original tree on the summit of the hill was an ancient Totara (Podocarpus totara), and was planted about 1600. One of

the Ngati Awa, passing south, were asked to stay by the Ngariki, who were descended from Titahi’s people.

While staying there the wife of the Ngati Awa chief gave birth to a son, and being a child of high rank, a traditional ceremony

was observed and a totara seedling, on which the baby’s umbilical cord had been cut, was planted on the summit of the hill.

The child was called Koroki and lived at Maungakiekie until he reached manhood. So great was Koroki’s ‘mana’ that the

little tree grew and flourished, for 200 years. The Maoris named the hill after this tree ‘Te Totara I ahua’ or ‘the Totara that

stands alone’. (1982), P14.

When John Logn Campbell, on his first visit to Auckland in 1840, saw the hill, he also was impressed with it, and named the

mountain ‘One Tree Hill’.

‘Our school marae stands in the shadow of this historic mountain which is an icon for many visitors to Tamaki Makaurau for

many years.’

Wai Dennis

Cultural Co-ordinator

HOD Te Reo Maori.

Waharoa : Entry into Maungakiekie Marae

He Tohunga Matauranga An achiever graduating at the highest

level of Matauranga Maori.

Te Whare Wananga – Puakiekie “The bloom of the Kiekie plant”, which adorned the

terraces of Maungakiekie Mountain a century ago.

(A) Ngutukaka (B) Mangopare (C) Puhoro

Reflects the beak of Reflects the Reflects the

The Kaka Hammerhead shark curving waves of the

sea.

Raranga

Te Kete Matauranga a Tane

Tane handed down from the heavens the

three baskets (Kete) of knowledge.

TUKUTUKU

(a) Nga Roimata

(b) Poutama

“Stairway to greater knowledge”

POUPOU: Nga

Tupuna O Nga Iwi

TUKUTUKU:

Poutama

POUPOU: Pou Whakairo O Nga Tipuna

POUPOU: Pou Whakairo O Nga Tipuna

Beverley Towns

& Wai Dennis

Penrose High

School

2005

Bibliography.

In the Shadow of Maungakiekie, A history of One Tree Hill and its environs from pre-Maori times to 1989, (1982), One Tree Hill

Borough Council, Auckland.