A finger of land reaching out. This is the Karangahape Peninsula. It stretches into the Manukau Harbour. It juts out from the southern base of the Waitakere Ranges.
The Karangahape Peninsula remained unnamed until 2015. Before that, it was known as Cornwallis Peninsula. It was also called Puponga Peninsula. In 2015, the NZ Geographic Board gave it the official name Karangahape Peninsula. This means the calling of Hape.
The name comes from a story. Hape called out to throw a trap. The trap was to capture a taniwha. The taniwha was visiting from the Hauraki Gulf.
Auckland’s present-day Karangahape Road marks a journey. Maori traveled from the Waitemata Harbour to the Manukau Harbour. They used the ridge line. It became Karangahape Road.
Captain William Cornwallis Symonds played a role here. He acted as an agent. He represented the New Zealand Waitemata and Manukau Harbour Company. In 1838, he sold the land that became known as Cornwallis. Robert Roy bought it. Thomas Mitchell had originally claimed the land. His claim was disputed and unsettled.
The drive for settlements was strong. People wanted to use the timber. They thought the land would be fertile. In October 1841, 27 passengers arrived at Karangahape Peninsula. They came on the Brilliant. Two babies were born on the way. Their 301-day voyage was the longest ever. It was a passenger ship voyage between Great Britain and New Zealand.
Lachlan McLachlan and his son John were among the passengers. They expected a well-established town. They had seen it on the sales plans. But they found only beach and bush.
Lachlan took a leadership role in those trying conditions. He established a sawmill. It is pictured to the right in some historical documents. He established two farms near the intended town site. West Auckland’s first hotel opened in July 1842. It was called the Bird in Hand. It served the workers of the Manukau Steam Sawmill. The sawmill was established later that year. But neither the sawmill nor the hotel was sustainable. The scheme collapsed within three years. The settlement was abandoned.
The company or Robert Roy did not own the land. That underpinned this disastrous undertaking. The land remained unsettled until 1860. Then, the original grant was reduced. It went from 5000 acres down to 1927 acres.
Nearly 70 years later, John McLachlan made a gift. In 1910, he gifted 1,927 acres for Cornwallis Park. He gave it to the City of Auckland. It was a tribute to his mother Isabella.
Today, 65 households treasure living here. It is a slice of paradise. It is only a 40-minute drive from Queen Street. Visitors come to Karangahape Peninsula. They enjoy its long safe swimming beach. The beach has shaded grass areas. They are ideal for picnics.
The beach’s 193m long wharf is popular. People fish there day and night. People launch their boats from here. They discover the harbor’s expanse. Some venture out beyond the Manukau Heads. They go into the Tasman Sea.
Karangahape Peninsula. A place of history and beauty. A place to reflect. A place to enjoy.