Why red earth? Papakauri’s name speaks of its very soil. We are standing in Papakura. Its story stretches back centuries. Papakura means Red Earth in Māori. Some say it refers to the area’s rich red soil. Others believe kura means the red plumage of the North Island giant moa known as kuranui. Imagine these massive birds coming down from the Papakura Hills. They would have fed in the lowlands.
Māori have lived in the Auckland Region since the 13th or 14th centuries. Many canoes visited this area. They include the Matahourua, Aotea, and Tainui. The Papakura portage was vital. It allowed people to move waka between the Manukau Harbour and the Wairoa River. Trails also connected the Pahurehure Inlet to the Waikato.
Pukekiwiriki is close to Papakauri. It has been occupied since the arrival of those canoes. It is linked to Mārama. She was the second wife of Hoturoa. He captained the Tainui waka. She settled at the pā. Her descendants became known as Ngā Mārama. Later, they joined the Waiohua confederation.
The Papakura area was home to several kāinga. These were Kirikiri, Te Aparangi, and Ōpaheke. The fortified pā at Pukekiwiriki and Te Maketū pā protected them. Tāmaki Māori thrived by using the harbor’s resources. They gardened on the slopes of Pukekiwiriki and used forests of the Hunua Ranges.
Around 1740, conflict arose. Ngāti Whātua and Waiohua fought. The chief Kiwi Tāmaki died. Many Waiohua sought refuge with Waikato Tainui. They returned to the Manukau Harbour. They lived in villages that used seasonal resources. This is when Te Ākitai Waiohua and Ngāti Tamaoho emerged.
In the 1820s, war parties threatened. The Musket Wars caused people to desert Papakura. Waiohua tribes moved to Waikato. They returned in the early 1830s. By 1835, Te Ākitai Waiohua had rebuilt Kirikiri. It was a kāinga on Pukekiwiriki’s western slopes.
The Crown bought the Papakura block in 1842. The area had not been surveyed. The size was estimated at 9000 to 30000 acres. The Crown created a reserve for Te Ākitai Waiohua south of Papakura.
Europeans began to settle here. George Rich farmed and hunted wild boars in 1844. The McLennan, Cole, and Willis families arrived between 1846 and 1848. They established farms. George Cole became known as the father of Papakura. Coles Crescent is named after him.
The Great South Road construction boomed Papakura in 1861. It became a military outpost for the war. Soldiers lived and camped here. Businesses profited by serving them. In 1863, Governor Grey ordered Māori to swear loyalty to the Queen and give up weapons. Most refused. They left for the south before the Invasion of the Waikato.
After the war, the Crown confiscated 1.2 million acres of Māori land. This included Waiohua land at Papakura. Former residents returned in 1866. The Native Compensation Court returned small portions of land in 1867. Most land stayed with the Crown. It was sold to British farmers.
The village grew in the 1860s and 1870s. Industries included logging and kauri gum digging. They also provided services for travelers along the Great South Road. The Papakura Hotel and Globe Hotel became prominent. In 1875, the Papakura railway station opened. This linked the town to Auckland and Hamilton. Dairy farming grew.
In 1911, the first controlled powered flight in New Zealand occurred in Papakura. Vivian Walsh piloted a Howard Wright 1910 Biplane. The parts were imported from England.
Papakura struggled between 1900 and 1919. Fires and the flu pandemic hurt the community. By 1914, the town had 700 people. After the war, a memorial statue was unveiled in 1921. The town thrived in the 1920s. By 1938, Papakura became an independent borough.
The Papakura Military Camp was established in 1939. It remains an important base. After World War II, South Auckland urbanized. By 1987, Papakura had become part of Auckland’s sprawl.
The Auckland Southern Motorway opened in 1965. A Cadbury chocolate factory opened. It later became the Griffin’s biscuit factory. The Roselands shopping centre opened in 1968.
The Borough of Papakura became Papakura City in 1975. In 1989, it lost this status. It became Papakura District due to local government reforms.
Today, Papakura is a vibrant suburb. It is rich in history and culture. As we stand here, remember the red earth beneath our feet. It connects us to the past. It also inspires the future.