Imagine a suburb where the past and present intertwine. This is \u014ctara. It is a place of rich history and vibrant culture in South Auckland.
\u014ctara is about 18 kilometers southeast of Auckland City Centre. The suburb’s name comes from \u014ctara Hill, also known as Te Puke \u014d Tara. This volcanic hill was once a Ng\u0101i Tai ki T\u0101maki p\u0101.
The name \u014ctara means “The Place of Tara”. The hill could be named after Tara-mai-nuku. He was a Waiohua ancestor and taniwha of the Manukau Harbour. Or it could be named after Tara Te Irirangi. He was a 19th-century chief of Ng\u0101i Tai ki T\u0101maki.
Before European settlement, the area had another name. It was called Ng\u0101 Kopi o Toi. This means “The Karaka Berries of Toi”. This name came from a karaka grove. Tradition says Toi-te-huatahi brought it from the Chatham Islands. He planted it near Greenmount. In the 1850s, Europeans started calling the area \u014ctara.
\u014ctara sits near the T\u0101maki River. The \u014ctara Creek flows through the suburb. It becomes a tidal estuary as it joins the river.
The area has two volcanic features. Pukewairiki is one. It is an estuary of the \u014ctara Creek. It is also a volcanic maar that erupted about 130000 years ago. \u014ctara Hill / Te Puke o Tara is another volcano. It is north of \u014ctara in East T\u0101maki. It erupted around 56500 years ago. In the mid-20th century, people quarried the hill. Lava from the hill flowed as far south as the \u014ctara Town Centre.
The history of \u014ctara has M\u0101ori and European chapters. Ng\u0101i Tai ki T\u0101maki has traditional ties to the area. They trace their lineage back to the Tainui waka. This waka arrived around 1300. The mouth of the T\u0101maki River was known as Te Wai \u014d T\u0101iki. It was named after the ancestor T\u0101iki.
Ng\u0101i Tai farmed extensively along the T\u0101maki River. \u014ctara Creek and \u014ctara Hill had stonefield gardens and a fortified p\u0101. People lived there until the early 19th century.
In 1851, William Goodfellow bought Otara Farm. It was on the T\u0101maki River’s southeastern shore. He built a homestead there.
In the mid-1950s, the Auckland Southern Motorway was built. This led to population growth. The government created state housing projects to address overcrowding. \u014ctara became the site for one of these projects. It was close to the motorway and industrial areas.
In 1958, Otahuhu Foodtown opened. It was New Zealand’s first supermarket. It was located in the future site of \u014ctara. The \u014ctara Town Centre officially opened in 1966.
Today, \u014ctara is known for its community and culture. Every Saturday, the \u014ctara Markets transform a carpark into a vibrant scene. You can find Pacific foods, crafts and clothing.
\u014ctara is a place of resilience, growth, and community spirit. Its story is etched in the land. It is carried in the hearts of its people.