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History of Auckland
Maori people are first thought to have
settled in the Auckland region approximately
650 years ago. Auckland would seem to have been a highly
sought after area due to its rich and fertile land.
The name given by the early Maori for the area,
'Tamaki', meaning 'battle', would seem to confirm
this.
The volcanic cones that are dotted all over Auckland
became natural sites for pas, or fortified Maori settlements.
Several of the best known lookout areas in Auckland,
such as Mount Eden and One Tree Hill, bear the traces of
these pas.
Fierce inter-tribal conflict in the 1820s
led to there being little organized Maori resistance to
European settlement, and by 1840 the British had either
beaten or bought out (generally for a few trinkets) the
Ngati Whatua tribe.
The onset of systematic European settlement can be traced
to 1840. New Zealand's first governor, Captain William Hobson,
chose Auckland as the capital. Hobson decided upon the name
Auckland, in honour of his patron and former commander, Lord
Auckland (at that time, the viceroy of India).
Many of the other place names in Auckland bear the influence of
Hobson's patron. Lord Auckland's family name was Eden, and a great
many parts of the city bear this name.
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