Did you know Greenmount was once a volcano? Around 20000 years ago it erupted. Its peak reached 78 meters above sea level. A grove of karaka trees once graced its slopes. Greenmount was more than just a volcano. It held great significance for the Ngāi Tai iwi. They called it Mātanginui meaning Big Breeze. It was their traditional settlement a place of their ancestors. Toi-te-huatahi an early ancestor even planted karaka trees there. By the 16th century the fertile volcanic soil supported extensive stonefield gardens. A defensive pā was built atop Greenmount. For centuries it was a hub of Ngāi Tai life.
But the story of Greenmount doesn’t end there. European settlers arrived. The Styak family farmed the land. They named it after Mrs Styak’s home in Ireland Green Bank. Around 1870 quarrying began. The hill was slowly but surely stripped of its volcanic rock. Greenmount and nearby Otara Hill were even nicknamed Bessy Bell and Mary Gray after a Scottish ballad. The quarrying continued until almost nothing remained. The Styak family’s legacy however lived on. In 1932 Sarah Jane Lushington gifted 40 hectares to the Manukau County Council. The intention was to create Styak-Lushington Park a public space. Instead the land was leased for farming and quarrying.
By the 1960s the hill was almost gone. It became a landfill. For decades waste was dumped here. The landfill was closed in 2005. From 2006 to 2016 a massive restoration project began. Clean fill was used to rebuild Greenmount. Methane gas from the decomposing rubbish was even collected and used to power a gas plant. Now Greenmount is planned to become a vibrant urban park. A 70-meter-high flat-topped grass hill will be the centerpiece. Visitors will enjoy stunning views. The story of Greenmount is a powerful reminder of Auckland’s volcanic past its Māori heritage and its transformation. It is a place that has seen incredible changes. Yet it’s also a testament to the resilience of nature and the vision for the future.