Having finished our coverage of Adelaide, Australia, it is now time to turn our attention to our next stop; Auckland, New Zealand.
First settled by the Maori (indigenous peoples from Polynesia)around 1350, Auckland is based around two large harbors on North Island. They called the area “Tamaki,” referring to its fertile land, which they greatly valued.The Maori population peaked at around twenty thousand prior to the arrival of the Europeans. The surrounding hills were covered in rain forests and dotted with dozens of dormant volcanos. Many “Pa” (fortified villages) were created by the Maori on these volcanic peaks When intertribal warfare broke out in 1807, the indigenous population was devastated. Following the arrival of the Europeans, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, in 1840, with the local tribes and the land on which Auckland was established was given to the new settlers as a sign of good will. The British Governor at the time, William Hobson, chose the area as the capital of the “new country,” naming it after George Eaden, the Earl of Auckland, and Britain’s First Lord of the Admiralty. By 1865, the Capital was moved to Wellington. As new roads were built towards the south, the population began to grow, with (initially) 50% of which were Irish because of cheap passage.
Today, as the only city in the world built on a volcanic basaltic field ( an estimated 50 dormant volcanos), Auckland is also home to the largest Polynesian population in the world. However, many other ethnic groups from all over the world have a presence here, making Auckland the most cosmopolitan city in the country.
Today, the port looks a little different.
Of course, there HAS TO BE a performing arts center! Auckland’s Civic Theater is the largest surviving”atmospheric cinema” (i.e. “...where lighting and interior design create the illusion of an open sky...”).