Gazing across the sparkling Waitematā Harbour, a tiny island catches your eye. This is Watchman Island, also known as Te Kākāwhakaara. Watchman Island may be small, a mere 10 meters wide, but it holds a fascinating history. Once a larger island, Watchman Island has been whittled down by the relentless wind and sea. The island’s Māori name, Te Kākāwhakaara, connects it to the area’s rich indigenous heritage. Tāmaki Māori iwi know it as Matungaegae. It was once the site of an island pā, a fortified village, during the Waiohua confederation in the 17th and early 18th centuries. In the mid-19th century, it was known as Sentinel Rock. This name appears on an 1857 British Admiralty chart of the Waitematā Harbour. You can spot Watchman Island from the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It briefly made headlines in 2005 when Adidas erected a metal haka figure there. This was part of a campaign to promote the All Blacks during the British and Irish Lions rugby tour. The statue was later toppled by a saboteur who claimed it was culturally insensitive. Interestingly, Watchman Island has an undefined legal status. Neither Auckland City Council, Auckland Regional Council, nor Ports of Auckland claim responsibility for it. Local iwi are considered to have customary rights over it. As you look at Watchman Island, imagine the lives lived there centuries ago, the strategic importance of the pā, and the changes the island has witnessed. It stands as a silent sentinel, a small but significant piece of Auckland’s history.
Watchman Island
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