“Where does this water come from?” you might ask as you stand before Sharp Stream. It is a waterway in West Auckland New Zealand. While it might seem like just another stream it is part of a larger story.
Sharp Stream is identified as a stream in West Auckland. Auckland’s history stretches back to the 14th century. Māori settlers called the area Tāmaki Makaurau. This means “Tāmaki desired by many”. This name reflects the area’s rich natural resources and strategic location.
The isthmus between the harbors provided access to both coasts. Fertile soils supported horticulture. The harbors offered plentiful seafood. Māori built fortified villages called pā on the volcanic peaks. However most Māori lived in undefended villages.
Around 1350 Māori people settled the Auckland isthmus. Some of the earliest archaeological sites are on Motutapu Island. Others are on Ponui Island and Wattle Bay. Matukutūruru also has early sites. It is likely that early Māori settled widely.
The economy was based on horticulture fishing and shellfish gathering. Certain areas specialized in producing toki or stone adze. Examples are Motutapu Island and Ōtāhuhu near Mount Wellington.
Various tribes settled in different areas. The Ngāi Tai settled in Maraetai. Te Kawerau ā Maki lived in the Waitākere Ranges. They controlled land as far north as the Kaipara. Ngāti Te Ata was based south of the Manukau Harbour at Waiuku. Ngāti Pāoa occupied the coast from Whangaparaoa to the Thames estuary. Waiohua dominated the Tāmaki isthmus.
From 1600 to 1750 Tāmaki tribes built pā on the volcanic cones. They also created 2000 hectares of kūmara gardens. By 1750 the population was tens of thousands. This made it the wealthiest area in pre-European New Zealand.
In the early 18th century Ngāti Pāoa moved into the Hauraki Gulf. Between 1740 and 1750 Ngāti Whātua-o-Kaipara invaded the isthmus. They killed Kiwi Tāmaki the paramount chief of Waiohua. Ngāti Whātua secured their dominance by intermarrying.
When Europeans arrived Ngāti Whātua and Tainui were the main groups living here. European settlement enabled northern tribes to acquire muskets. Despite this Ngāti Whātua defeated a Ngāpuhi force in 1807 or 1808.
Apihai Te Kawau leader of the Ngāti Whātua hapū Te Taoū was a friend of Samuel Marsden. He played a role in the Amiowhenua expedition from 1821 to 1822.
Pressure for British intervention led to the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. On March 20 1840 Apihai Te Kawau signed the treaty. Ngāti Whātua sought British protection from Ngāpuhi. They also desired a relationship with the Crown.
Soon after Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei gifted 3500 acres of land to Governor Hobson. This land was for the new capital. The capital was moved to Auckland.
Perhaps the waters of Sharp Stream quietly witnessed these events. The stream is a reminder of the continuous flow of history. It also reflects the changes in Auckland’s landscape and people. Its gentle murmur echoes through time. It connects the past to the present.