The fear of an attack on Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland following the Northern War reveals Auckland’s complex relationships to different peoples and places. Everyone considered the region important, from the iwi who claimed it as part of their rohe (district) to the settlers and imperial soldiers who made their home here. When Auckland appeared to be under threat in the 1840s-50s, its importance to the identity and livelihood of Auckland iwi, settlers and imperial soldiers was highlighted.

Maungakiekie One Tree Hill is one of the most important Māori sites in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland reflecting a deep history of settlement, leadership and sacred traditions. Its name means “the hill of the kiekie vine,” a plant that once grew extensively on the maunga (mountain). For centuries, it was home to thousands and was the largest pre-European pā (fortified village) in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Maungakiekie holds special significance due to the planting of the whenua (afterbirth) of a Ngāti Awa chief’s son, Korokino, alongside a tōtara sprig on its summit. This tree, named Te Tōtara-i-āhua (the tōtara that stands alone), symbolised a line of leadership, made the mountain sacred to Māori and was the name given to the tihi (summit). Maungakiekie remains a powerful symbol of Māori identity, resilience, and connection to the land, as well as a site reflecting the layered history of Māori and Pākehā interactions.

Albert Barracks was a major British military fortification, built in the 1840s on the land that now
includes Albert Park and the Auckland University Waipapa Taumata Rau. This was a key military
site in early Auckland, but the area was significant long before the arrival of Pākehā. The site has a deep history of Māori settlement and conflict. Before the 1740s, the land around Albert Park was part of Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua’s rohe (territory) and home to a settlement called Mangahekea. However, this settlement was destroyed when Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei, led by Tūperiri, attacked it.

On 18 September 1840, Apihai Te Kawau, the paramount rangatira of Ngāti Whātua o Orākei, formally allocated 3000 acres of central Tāmaki Makaurau to Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson. This followed centuries of Māori occupation. The gifting of land, known as tuku whenua, was to establish a town for settlers and a new capital. It aimed to strengthen Ngāti Whātua’s relationship with the Crown and bring prosperity. Hobson selected the ‘best part’ of the land for his Government House. This building became a symbol of British power and authority in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Following centuries of  Māori occupation, Tāmaki Makaurau was selected as the site for the new capital of the colony and named Auckland. From 1841, Auckland was not only the seat of the colonial government but the place from which military campaigns of the New Zealand Wars (Ngā Pakanga o Aotearoa) were directed. Fourteen imperial regiments served in these wars from 1840 to 1870. All entered the colony through Auckland, and many returned to the city between regional deployments. 

After the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840) and following the arrival of British and other European settlers, conflicts began over land and sovereignty. This conflict led to a series of battle campaigns involving different iwi, local militia, British and colonial troops, and some Māori who allied with the British. 

For an estimated 5000 years, flags have served as powerful symbols for humans, carrying a wide range of meanings. The first recorded flag to be raised on New Zealand soil was the Union Jack, hoisted by James Cook in 1769. This flag represented the British Empire. In that context, raising the Union Jack flag on foreign land was seen as a symbol of discovery and authority, regardless of the understanding or opinion of the indigenous people who belonged to the region.

As European settlement pushed further into the central North Island, many iwi began to fear for their land, authority, and independence. In response, they united and chose the first Māori King, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero. This new movement, the Kīngitanga, was centred in Waikato. At the time, the Waikato region was thriving. Māori were feeding settlers in Auckland and exporting goods to Australia and California. Their economic success and political unity made the region powerful and self-reliant.