Mount Eden

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Mount Eden is the name of a volcano and the surrounding suburb in Auckland, New Zealand, situated five kilometres south of the city centre. The Māori name for the site is Maungawhau - "Mountain of the Whau tree". The English name honours George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland.

Contents 1 Volcano 1.1 Geography 1.2 Tourism 1.3 Other uses 2 Surrounding areas 2.1 Pre-European 2.2 Later settlement 2.3 Civic institutions 2.4 War memorials 2.5 Mount Eden Prison 2.6 Local government 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Volcano

[edit] Geography

The central focus of the suburb is the dormant eponymous volcano whose summit (196 metres above sea level) is the highest natural point on the Auckland isthmus. The majestic bowl-like crater is 50 metres deep. The volcano erupted several times resulting in a series of craters, with the last eruption about 60,000 years ago.

[edit] Tourism

Mt Eden sees strong tourism use, as it is the highest non-manmade point in Auckland, and provides good views in all directions over the city. The large numbers of coach buses, which previously could go all the way to a parking lot on the top of the hill has been considered to have degraded the top of the cone. In August 2006, a ban on tour buses was announced. They will have to park halfway up the mountain in the future. However, this has in the meantime been partly qualified, with the vehicle ban only to be enforced when a "sustainable, low-impact transport system" (not further specified) is in place. ^[1]

[edit] Other uses

In pre-European times Mount Eden was utilised as a fortified hill pa by various Māori tribes. Its occupation ended in 1700 A.D when the Waiohua defeated the Tamaki people. The earth ramparts and terraces from this period contribute to the distinctive outline of the hill today.

From the 1950s the peak was used for VHF radio communications in two buildings, several hundred metres apart, each with their own antenna farm. One building housed transmitting equipment, while the other housed receiving equipment. In the 1960s the site was staffed during the five-day working week due to the large number of valves that wore out under the stress of high power and needed continuous service. Typical use of the facility was for taxis, trucks and vans, and other businesses needing mobile communications.

Some of the craters have been made the site of water reservoirs from as early as 1877.

[edit] Surrounding areas

[edit] Pre-European

The area directly around the hill is comprised of very fertile free-draining soil mixed with a great deal of volcanic debris in the form of scoria rocks. When Europeans came to the area, they found a landscape devoid of large trees, as anything of any size had been cut down by the Maori for various uses, such as the timber palisades of the pa. The land was covered with bracken, flax and manukau trees, with whau shrubs growing on the hill. The Europeans cleared the land of the scoria rocks and made fences with them to define property boundaries. This resulted in a landscape reminiscent of Ireland or the Scottish lowlands. These scoria walls are still a feature of the suburb today.

[edit] Later settlement

Initially the land was utilised for farms, but from quite early on the area hosted country residences of professionals and business people from Auckland. Most of the farm land was subdivided into large suburban plots between 1870 and 1875, and the principal roads were formed by the Crown. Mt Eden's first school opened in 1877 on the corner of Mt Eden and Valley roads. In 1879 the mountain was officially protected as a public reserve. The tea kiosk on the slope of Mt Eden was built in 1927.

Mt Eden is now a "leafy suburb" of predominantly large houses from the first half of the 20th century. The gardens are verdant and the trees have grown large. On the eastern slopes of Mt Eden were constructed several large country houses set in palatial grounds. These included "Harewood House" (now the site of the Mater Hospital), Justice Gillies "Rocklands Hall" (now a hostel), Alfred Buckland's "Highwic" (now a museum), the Hellaby family's "Florence Court", and Josiah Clifton Firth's "Clifton House" (both still private residences). Close by the current Government House (residence of the Governor General) is Eden Gardens, a botanical garden set up in a disused quarry.

In the 1950s and 1960s the inner suburbs became unfashionable and the old houses of the Mt Eden area were comparatively cheap to buy. Mt Eden developed a slightly bohemian image during this time as a community of artists, writers, teachers and university lecturers made it their home. Mt Eden village is still regarded by many as the "Home Of Arts" in Auckland, due to the large amount of creative activity in and around the suburb and the large number of artists who live nearby.

The Presbyterian Boys' Hostel at 22 View Road is a historic building that became the first home for many young men, who moved to Auckland to train in government and industry at low rates of pay.

[edit] Civic institutions

Eden Park has been home to Auckland Cricket since 1910, and also hosts international test and one-day cricket matches. The ground has also been the home of the Auckland Rugby Union since 1925.

There are several prestigious schools located in and around Mt Eden including St Peter's College and Auckland Grammar School, as well as the Epsom Campus of the University of Auckland (previously the Auckland College of Education).

[edit] War memorials

There are three War Memorials in the Mount Eden area;

• The War Memorial Gates at the Mount Eden Primary School in Valley Road (opposite the former Mt Eden Borough Council Chambers)
• The War Memorial Gates at the entrance to the Former College of Education (end of Poronui street, designed in 1932 by the Auckland Education Board architect Alan Miller, built of Portland stone left over from building the Auckland War Memorial Museum)
• The 1957 Mount Eden War Memorial Hall located near the intersection of Dominion and Balmoral Roads

[edit] Mount Eden Prison

To most New Zealanders the name Mount Eden is inextricably linked with the country's best known prison. Mount Eden Prison was built in the castle style between 1882 and 1917. It is constructed out of the local basalt rock, one of the very few buildings built in this uncompromising material. Built with prison labour it was designed by P.F.M. Burrows and is very similar in appearance to Dartmoor Prison in England.

A song was written, performed and published about a famous escapee from the prison, George Wilder. The first time, 29 January 1963, he was free for 172 days, during which time he travelled 1,620 miles and committed 40 crimes. In 1962, Pat Boone's "Speedy Gonzales" became "George The Wilder Colonial Boy", by the Howard Morrison Quartet. [1]

[edit] Local government

In 1868 local people met to form a local governing body; this was the Mt Eden Highway Board. The Mt Eden Borough Council came into being in 1906. The Council Office buildings in Valley Road were built in 1911. In 1989 Mt Eden Borough was amalgamated with Auckland City.

[edit] References

• The Lively Capital, Auckland 1840-1865. Una Platts. Avon Fine Prints Limited New Zealand 1971.
• Colonial Architecture In New Zealand. John Stacpoole. A.H & A.W Reed 1976
• The Changing Face Of Mount Eden. Faye M. Angelo. Mount Eden Borough Council 1989.

1. ^ Brian Rudman: May the new plan to save Mt Eden work better than the last - New Zealand Herald, Monday 18 December 2006

[edit] External links

• Map of Mt Eden Suburb

Coordinates: 36°52′S 174°45′E