Deeply involved in maritime activities. That’s how the Houghton family lived here on Flagstaff Hill. This place, the Wellington Flagstaff, isn’t just a spot with a pole. It holds a knotty past and an inadequate present.
Let’s unravel the story of this grassy hill above Wellington’s CBD. It’s surrounded by trees and houses, accessible by pedestrian walkways. You might wonder what purpose the Wellington Flagstaff serves.
News stories once implied it was part of a bizarre defense system. This system was supposedly for the first European colonists. In 1843, the Wairau Affray saw 22 settlers killed by Ngāti Toa fighters. Alarmed Pākehā then decided they needed an early warning system.
The Dominion Post noted in 2017 that settlers established flagstaffs in Wellington. These were to warn of impending Māori attacks. A Wellington City Council press release even claimed cannons were mounted onsite.
However, these stories had a disturbing undertone. The settlers themselves were largely responsible for the Affray. They tried to evict Ngāti Toa leaders from land they refused to sell. The armed posse of settlers sparked the carnage.
Here’s where the confusion begins. The hill used to warn of attacks was actually Clay Point. It sits above the junction of Willis Street and Lambton Quay. Today, that spot is Stewart Dawson’s corner. It’s only a few hundred meters from modern-day Flagstaff Hill. It is a completely different place.
In the 1920s, the location was still correctly identified. By 1948, the myth about modern-day Flagstaff Hill had become entrenched. Council records show how quickly confusion can regain the upper hand.
The pole that gave Flagstaff Hill its name wasn’t very interesting. The Houghton family, early settlers, raised it. They were deeply involved in maritime activities. They may have run flags up the pole to inform the port’s inhabitants about ship arrivals. The flagpole’s erection was likely linked to their commercial activities.
As Wellington evolved, so did Flagstaff Hill. In the 1920s, the council planned a cable car from Willis Street Village. It would pass under the Terrace at a depth of 90 feet. The plan was dropped because buses could manage the climb.
The hill then passed through various hands. These included New Zealand Breweries and Massey University. The original flagstaff site became a car park in the 1970s. It is now covered in townhouses.
The current flagpole was erected in 1973. It commemorated the restoration of historic Flag Staff Hill. Ironically, it’s about 50 meters from the original spot.
From the early 1970s, the council leased the current grassy area. They maintained it as open space. The Flagstaff Hill Area Residents’ Association regularly used it for events. They even had a flag to raise on occasions of neighborhood festivities.
City councillor Iona Pannett recalls a really awesome neighborhood. It sported a community garden. Children could run free. Adults held progressive dinners. With the decline of the association, regular use petered out.
In 2015, the council bought the land. The sale was on the basis that the land be kept as a reserve. Returning it to its original mana whenua owners wasn’t contemplated.
Now, the land just sits here, largely unloved. It provides nothing more than a spot to read or eat lunch for a vanishingly small number of users.
The council doesn’t appear to have any plans to improve the site. Could other uses be found? Housing is out. So too, in all probability, a playground. The stroller access is awful. How about a natural enhancement?
The hill could host an orchard of fruit trees. It could be a glade of native specimens. It could support the halo effect of kākā and kererū spreading from Zealandia. Or, as Ritchie envisioned, a community garden for a post-renovation Dixon Street flats.
The current failure speaks to a certain neglect of public space. This Wellington Flagstaff stands as a reminder. It shows the potential in languishing sites. It highlights the need for community-driven improvements. It is a phallic symbol, like all such things. But it is not an especially virile one.