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
Pacific Immigrants in the ‘Greater Ponsonby’ region
by Flynn McGregor-Sumpter*
The three decades following the conclusion of the Second World War saw a significant rise in migration to Aotearoa New Zealand. Pacific Islanders in particular were attracted to New Zealand through a scheme that aimed to address the labour shortages in process work and manufacturing.
Reimagining Rangitoto
by Blair McIntosh*
Towering above the roily waters of the Hauraki Gulf, RANGITOTO stands as an enduring symbol of ‘Home’ for many Aucklanders. No matter which direction the maunga is gazed from, its silhouette is always unmistakable: wide slopes descend down to the sea in near-perfect symmetry, whilst its jagged peaks betray the faint beginnings of a place born from incredible heat and fire.
What’s in a Building? – Chelsea Sugar Refinery and Estate’s Journey to Heritage Recognition
by Angela Black*
The history of a factory such as Chelsea often takes a very industrial or commercial form. As historians studying these mass-producing structures, we naturally ask questions on matters such as the development of the factory, its statistics of production, the markets it serves and any periods of rapid mechanisation or industrialisation.