Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere
Ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te Ao
The bird who feeds on miro has the forest
The bird who feeds on knowledge has the world
Nau mai, haere mai ki Tāmaki Herenga Waka.
Ka nui te mihi ki a Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei te iwi mana whenua.
Tihei Mauri Ora!
AHI Mission Statement
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is situated amongst many volcanoes on an isthmus that is flanked by the Manukau and Waitematā harbours. The cones punctuate the skyline and the ocean is never far from view. These iconic features of the whenua have not only shaped the landscape but also the many peoples who have settled in this unique environment over centuries.
Welcome to the Auckland History Initiative. This research collaboration focuses on understanding the physical and cultural development of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland as well as the wider Auckland region extending from Northland to the Waikato, and Auckland’s connections with international and global networks of trade, governance and culture.
In order to advance that understanding the AHI takes several approaches. These include:
- To increase students’ engagement with Auckland history, to stimulate their interest in and knowledge of their immediate surroundings and to enhance their employability
- To build relationships between the University of Auckland and Auckland’s Iwi and GLAM sector (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums)
- To continue to establish relationships and research collaborations in the area of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland history across disciplines and faculties at the University of Auckland
- To enhance public outreach by hosting public events focused on inviting discussion on the history of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
- To promote and support research into Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland history through an online platform and associated social media.
Read our AHI Summer Scholars work below
Understanding historic Māori fluidity within Ngāti Te Ata Waiōhua: An outline
by Tommy de Silva*
What does the term ‘Tāmaki Makaurau’ mean? Some would argue that it means ‘Tāmaki of a hundred lovers’, while others would claim it means ‘Tāmaki desired by many’ or ‘Tāmaki the bride sought by a hundred’. No matter which meaning you prefer, they all clearly suggest that Tāmaki has long been a place sought after by many rōpū (groups).
Setting-up Auckland’s Jewish Community
by Sarah Oliver*
“David Nathan had decided that if the powers-to-be determined that the new capital was to be on the shores of the Waitemata Harbour then he would follow.” David Nathan was one of the first Jews to move to the shores of the Waitematā Harbour, where in 1841, Captain William Hobson announced the new capital of New Zealand was to be built.
The Post-1893 Political Environment for Auckland Women
by Saana Judd*
In 1893, women in New Zealand won the right to vote in parliamentary elections. During this time, the social, political, and economic environment for women was undergoing a period of great change. The end of the nineteenth-century saw women begin to attend university in greater numbers and enter the workforce more fully.