Here, the breeze carries whispers of ancient stories. These stories echo through time here at Motukorea Pā. Motukorea Pā is also known as Browns Island. This island is a volcanic treasure. It sits in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.
Motukorea’s history is rich. It is varied as its geological features. The island’s name comes from the Māori word “korea”. Korea means oystercatcher. It shows the island’s long history with these birds. They still live on the island today.
Māori occupation on Motukorea dates back centuries. Evidence suggests it was vital. It was an important site for gardening. It was important for fishing and stone tool making.
Archaeological surveys found three pā on the island. These are fortified villages. They also found archaic middens. Middens are ancient refuse heaps. There are also fish traps and stone structures. These show the island’s role. It was a vital hub in pre-European times. Motukorea Pā’s location was strategically important. It controlled access to the Tāmaki River. This river connected the east and west coasts.
In the early 19th century Europeans saw Motukorea’s potential. William Brown and Logan Campbell bought the island in 1840. They were Auckland’s founding fathers. They started one of Auckland’s first European settlements. They used the island for farming. They supplied the growing town of Auckland.
Motukorea is one of the best-preserved volcanoes. It sits in the Auckland volcanic field. Its eruption history goes back about 25000 years. The island’s volcanic origin is clear. You can see its scoria cone and deep craters.
The first eruption was explosive. It made a shallow one-kilometer-wide crater. Later eruptions built the scoria cones. They now dominate the island. The unique volcanic landforms are a living laboratory. The collapsed lava cave is fascinating. Fossils of the Sydney mud cockle offer insights. They show the region’s prehistoric environment.
Three pā sites have been identified here on Motukorea. Archaic artifacts were found on the island. They include worked moa bone and fishhooks. Stone resources came from local gulf islands. They also came from the Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island.
From 1820 European visitors traded with Māori. Dumont D’Urville visited in 1827. He reported the island abandoned. This was likely due to the musket wars. Te Kanini sold Motukorea to Brown and Campbell in 1840.
Not long after, Ngāti Whātua chief Āpihai Te Kawau gifted the island to Captain Hobson. This was to make Auckland the capital. Brown and Campbell protested. Governor Hobson refused Brown’s application for a Crown grant. Later, Governor FitzRoy granted it in 1844.
Campbell left in 1840 to start a business in Auckland. Brown stayed until 1841. He managed the pig farm. In 1856 both men left for Great Britain. Campbell bought Brown’s share in 1873. He paid £40000. In 1879 Campbell sold Motukorea to the Featherstone family.
In 1906 the Alison family bought the island. They operated the Devonport Steam Ferry Company. The hulks of four coal-powered paddle steamers were abandoned here. The Barnard brothers made New Zealand’s first glider flights from Motukorea in 1909. In the 1920s the ferry company brought picnickers here.
The Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Board bought Motukorea in 1946. They wanted to build a sewage plant. Sir Ernest Davis bought the island. He gifted it to Auckland in 1955. The Auckland City Council managed it until 1968. Then it became part of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park. Today the Department of Conservation manages Motukorea.
Motukoreaite a rare mineral was discovered here in 1977. The island’s highest point is 68 meters above sea level. There is no ferry service. Access is by private boat or seaplane. The best landing spot is on the sheltered northern side.
Motukorea is more than just an island. It is a journey through time. It holds stories of the past waiting to be discovered. Take a moment to imagine life here centuries ago. Consider the strategic importance of this island.