Historical evolution of Auckland

William Hobson, the first governor of New Zealand, named the city after Auckland, the governor of India. Interestingly, in Maori, Auckland is named after Tāmaki-makau-rau, which means "pure girl and one hundred lovers". This is because there are many tribes in this area.

The First Immigrants (A.D. 1350)

The aborigines of Auckland are the Maori of Polynesian race. In A.D. 1350, Maori set sail from Cook Island in Polynesia, fought in the sea and waves for several weeks, crossed 3,200 kilometers of ocean, and came to this beautiful land rich in wingless birds and dense plants, becoming the oldest indigenous people in Auckland. Because the land here is very fertile and there are many competitors, they must build "PA" (Pā) (defensive shanzhai) at the peak of the volcano. Before the arrival of Europeans, about 20 thousand Maori lived here. With the introduction of firearms into northern New Zealand, it broke the balance in this area and led to fierce wars between tribes. However, some tribes lacking weapons (iwi) have to seek new refuge in this area and cannot be found by other tribes in this coastal area. As a result, when Europeans arrived here and established the colony of "New Zealand", the Maori in this area were already very scattered. As a result, Maori did not discuss European policy in detail.

During the period of European immigration, the Maori in the central part of Auckland decreased rapidly due to the war and a large number of European immigrants later. Ngati Whatua and Tainui are two main tribes that have lived in this area for generations.

Today, many volcanic hills near the suburbs of Auckland still retain the fortress-like sites of early Maori, such as Eden Mountain and Yishu Mountain.

The Birth of Auckland (1840)

Although james cook, the British captain, passed through this area as early as 1769, he did not enter Waitmata Port and Horaki Bay. It was not until 1820 that Samuel Mardam discovered today's downtown Auckland. 1840 When Auckland was built, there were only about 2,000 residents.

1840 On February 6th, Captain William Hobson was sent to New Zealand by the British government to sign the Treaty of Waitangi with the local Maori indigenous people. After that, he bought the land for six pounds, and Hobson chose Auckland as the capital of the new colony. Within a year, 2,000 British immigrants came here to cut down and reclaim land. The British government bought 3,000 acres of land in Auckland with 50 sheets, 20 trousers, 20 axes, 65,438+00 vests, 65,438+00 hats, 65,438+00 iron pots, four barrels of tobacco, a box of pipes, a woolen cloth, sugar and flour.

National capital (184 1- 1865)

1840 In February, shortly after Europeans and Maori signed the Treaty of Waitangi, William Hobson, the first governor of New Zealand, decided to give up Russell, a small town in the northern region, as the capital and rebuild it in this city, and named it after Auckland, the governor of India. Auckland has thus become the second capital of New Zealand. Auckland is located in the northern part of the North Island of New Zealand, far from the South Island, which has also caused long-term complaints from the South Island dignitaries.

1840, Port Nicholson (now the capital of Wellington) was the best administrative capital of New Zealand, because the city was separated from the South Island of New Zealand (Cook Strait) by a strait. Port Nicholson has also developed rapidly since then.

At the same time, Auckland has been the capital of New Zealand and the capital of Auckland Province (no longer exists) until New Zealand abolished the provincial administrative system in 1876. Although a large number of immigrants brought more fresh vitality to the city, Auckland was abolished as the capital in 1865.

Maori war (1845- 1872)

In order to resist the British government, the Maori launched the "King Maori Movement" in the1860s, which was the Maori's response to the increasingly threatened land. Since then, from 1845 to 1872, a series of conflicts between whites and Maori have occurred in New Zealand, which is the famous "Maori War" (also known as "New Zealand War" and "Land War") in New Zealand history. The war started because of some problems. The most important thing was that the Maori land was sold to the colonial (white) people. This also spread to Auckland. The number of Maori participating in the King Maori Movement in Auckland also increased sharply, from only 1.400 in 65438 to 1.423 in 65438. This situation also appears in other white-controlled commercial cities, which mainly surround the seaport of New Zealand with a large population.

Strong development (1860 till now)

Trams and railways began to appear in Auckland in the first half of the 20th century and developed rapidly. Soon, with the advent of the electrical age, trams began to appear and gradually ruled here, which has continued to this day. The emergence of trunk lines and highways has also changed the urban scenery of Auckland, and more profoundly led to the alliance between cities. For example, the north shore (especially after the completion of the Auckland Harbour Bridge) and the combination of Manukau and Auckland in the south.

There are still a large number of suburban houses in Auckland, which makes the population density in Auckland still low today. Although the population of Auckland is less than one sixth of that of London, its area exceeds 1 000 square kilometers. This also makes it more difficult and expensive for Auckland to develop public transport than other high-density cities.