Manurewa

Māori history

Matukutūreia and Matukutūruru were home to two hilltop pā, collectively known as Matukurua.^[5] The names of the mountains commemorate a story of two chiefs. The chief of Matukutūruru ("the bittern standing at ease") was captured while eel fishing. The chief of Matukutūreia ("the vigilant bittern") saved the pā and the people of Matukutūruru.^[5] Over 8,000 hectares of stonefield gardens were tended by Tāmaki Māori peoples on the lower slopes of the volcanoes,^[11][12] where crops such as kūmara and bracken fern root were grown.^[13]

The Manurewa area was settled by Ngā Riki, who were one of the three Tāmaki Māori groups who joined to form the Waiohua in the 17th and 18th-centuries.^[14] During this time, the two pā were home to the Ngāi Huatau hapū of Waiohua,^[5] settled by Huatau, daughter of Huakaiwaka.^[15][3] The chief Huarangi was based at Matukutūruru with his wife Takawai of Ngāi Tahuhu. After her death, he married Kohe, a high ranking woman from Ngāti Pāoa, a union that was widely disapproved by the hapū. This dissent eventually led to a division in the family, with the children of Takawai settling at Matukutūruru, and Huarangi moving with Kohe to Matukutūreia.^[5]

Around the year 1740, a conflict between Ngāti Whātua and Waiohua led to the death of paramount chief Kiwi Tāmaki, who became the main occupants of the Tāmaki isthmus and Māngere to the north.^[14][16] Ngāti Whātua was significantly smaller than the Waiohua confederation and chose to focus life at Onehunga, Māngere and Ōrākei, meaning that Waiohua were able to re-establish a presence in South Auckland.^[17][16]

The Manurewa area has significance for Waiohua iwi, especially Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, who descent from Te Ata i Rehia, the daughter of Huatau who was born on Matukutūreia,^[18] and Te Ākitai Waiohua.^[19]

Colonial era

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  Granted to James Reddy Clendon

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  Extent of the Fairburn Purchase

In January 1836 missionary William Thomas Fairburn brokered a land sale between Tāmaki Māori chiefs, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero and Turia of Ngāti Te Rau, covering the majority of modern-day South Auckland between Ōtāhuhu and Papakura. The sale was envisioned as a way to end hostilities in the area, but it is unclear what the chiefs understood or consented to. Māori continued to live in South Auckland, unchanged by this sale.^[20]

Fairburn was criticised for the sheer size of the purchase, and in 1842 the Crown significantly reduced the size of his land holdings,^[13] and the Crown partitioned much of the land for European settlers.^[20]

10,000 acres of the Fairburn purchase was granted to James Reddy Clendon in return for land at Russell where the new capital of New Zealand was established.^[21] Clendon never lived or visited the area,^[22] but sold 2,000 acres to the Martin brothers, who subdivided the land in the mid-1900s.^[23] Much of the Martin brothers' land became modern-day Manurewa.^[24]

Early development

Work on the Great South Road began in 1843, reaching as far south as Drury in 1855.^[25] In the early 1860s, Great South Road was used as a military supply route between Auckland and the frontier of the Invasion of the Waikato.^[26][27]

Manurewa was only sparsely populated in the 1860s and 1870s. The main stop on the Great South Road for coach services was the Raglan Hotel at Woodside (modern-day Wiri).

The Manurewa Highway District was formed in 1867,^[28] and in 1875 the first Manurewa railway station opened located behind what is now the Russell Road Reserve.^[23] Initially opened as a flag station, in 1884 a booking office opened at the site.^[29] The station led to growth in the area; 81 people lived in Manurewa by 1879, and a post office opened in 1884.^[23]

By the 1900s, much of Woodside village (modern-day Wiri) had moved to Manurewa. After years of debate, the school now known as Manurewa Central School moved from the corner of Kerrs Road and Great South Road to its current site, and opened on 8 September 1906 with 63 pupils.^[23] It was joined by the Methodist Church in 1909.^[23]

Manurewa became a centre for the local dairy industry in the early 20th century,^[24] with the first creamery opening in 1905.^[23]

Suburban development

By 1915, Manurewa had grown large enough to become a town district, created from parts of the former Manurewa and Papakura road districts.^[30] The area was promoted as a commuter suburb for Auckland in the early 1920s.^[30] Local farmer Charles Henry Lupton was instrumental in developing the Manurewa community, serving on the town board, school and church committees, and became known as "The Father of Manurewa".^[30][31] By 1937, the population of Manurewa had increased to over 1,500 people, allowing Manurewa to become a borough.^[30]

The second railway station in the area opened on 15 August 1924.^[32] The developer John Dreadon donated £500 and land for the station and the bridge, which replaced a level crossing.^[33] Three other landowners also contributed. As a result, it was decided to name the station using the Māori word for 'gift', homai, rather than Browns Rd, as it was initially referred to.^{[34][full citation needed]}

A third railway station, Mahia, was opened on 16 August 1926.^[35] It was renamed from Mahia to Te Mahia from 9 February 1951 by a decision of the New Zealand Geographic Board.^[36]

Duplication of the tracks between Papatoetoe and Papakura, through Manurewa, started in 1929 as an employment relief scheme^[37] and was completed on 29 March 1931.^[38]

In 1939, a fire destroyed the Manurewa Picture Theatre, and the adjoining shops and boarding house.^[31] In 1941 a fire engine was obtained and a new fire station was built by volunteers of the Manurewa Fire Brigade.^[39]

During World War II, parts of Manurewa were used as military camps for United States Army soldiers bound for the Pacific.^[40]

Urban development

The development of the Auckland Southern Motorway in the 1950s and 1960s led to suburban development in Manurewa.^[41]

During the large population growth in the 1950s, Manurewa Central School struggled to provide places for all of the students who needed places. Because of this, a number of new schools were established in the area. St Anne's Catholic School opened in 1952; initially with two classrooms and a teachers' room, but by April 1955 additional buildings were added to cope with the growth in students.^[42] Homai School opened with six classrooms in April 1955 under the name Manurewa North School.^[43]

Manurewa High School was opened on 2 February 1960, built on land adjacent to Homai School. A row of trees was planted between the sites, to create a defined boundary between the two. Prior to this, high school students in Manurewa needed to travel to schools outside the area, such as Otahuhu College.^[42] James Cook High School opened in 1968.

In 1962 the Nathan family granted their old homestead and surrounding land to the Manurewa Borough Council. The Council named the area David Nathan Park.^[44] In 1964, the Borough Council leased the homestead, now known as Nathan Homestead, to the Manukau County Council for use as administrative offices.^[45]

Southmall Manurewa, an open-air mall, was opened in February 1967. The complex included over 100,000 square feet of retail space, with Bond & Bond, Farmers, Flackson's, Hannah's, Hugh Wright's, Levene's, New World, Whitcombe & Tombs, Woolworths and several other major retail chains, as well as a variety of speciality shops.^[46]

In May 1967, Manukau City Council joined with the Auckland Regional Authority to purchase the remaining 209-acres (84.6 ha) of the Nathan farm.^[47] The family sold part of the farm to the Auckland Regional Authority for the creation of the Auckland Botanic Gardens, while the remainder was given to the Manukau City Council for recreational use.^{[48][full citation needed]} The gardens opened in 1982.^[49]

Nathan Homestead served as council offices until 1977 when a new purpose-built council building opened in Wiri.^[50] On 14 October 1978, the homestead was officially reopened by Arts Minister David Allan Highet as the Manurewa Community and Cultural Centre.

By the 1970s, Manurewa East and Weymouth had developed as suburban areas, and after the construction of Manukau Central in the 1980s, Manurewa became connected to the urban sprawl of Auckland.^[41]

In 1972, the Manukau City Centre mall was built in Wiri. Shortly after its redevelopment in 1986, Southmall was extensively remodeled and redesigned from an open air to an enclosed space.

Rugby union

The Manurewa Rugby Football Club is based at Mountfort Park Manurewa. They were founded in 1921 and now play within the Counties Manukau Rugby Union Club competition and are one of the biggest and most successful Rugby clubs within the region. They have a large junior section plus and string Golden Oldies Section made up of many past players. They also have associated sports of AFL, Netball & Softball operating within the club. They were originally based at Jellicoe Park in Manurewa and had a club room affectionately known as the "Old Black Shed". They built the new clubrooms at Mountfort Park and moved to this site officially in 1978. Notable current Super 15 Chiefs players Tim Nanai-Williams, Viliami Taulani and Bundee Aki are former Manurewa Rugby Club players.

Association football

The football (soccer) club Manurewa AFC who play in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1A are based in Manurewa.

Rugby league

The Manurewa Marlins are based in Manurewa.

Chairmen of the Manurewa Town Board

Below is a list of the six people who served as the chairman of the Manurewa Town Board.^[66]

• 1916–1918 Thomas James Corin
• 1918–1920 Charles Henry Lupton
• 1920–1922 Thomas James Corin
• 1922–1928 Arthur Clifton Axford Sexton
• 1928–1930 George Gallaher
• 1930–1932 William Johnston Ferguson
• 1932–1937 William Thomas Cox

Mayors during Manurewa Borough Council

Below is a list of the six people who served as the mayor of the Manurewa Borough Council.^[67]

• 1937–1944 William Johnston Ferguson
• 1944–1946 Frederick Herny Barnard
• 1946–1948 John Augusta Kelly
• 1948–1953 Reginald Frank Judson
• 1953–1956 Cecil Millington Crawford
• 1956–1965 Harry Beaumont