Murphy's Bush
Forest in East Auckland, New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Murphy's Bush is a protected forested area in Flat Bush in East Auckland, New Zealand. The reserve features a remnant kahikatea forest, and is the largest remaining lowland bush in metropolitan Auckland.
| Murphy's Bush | |
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 Interactive map of Murphy's Bush | |
| Coordinates | 36°40′05″S 174°42′50″E |
| Area | 26 hectares (64 acres)[1] |
Geography and biodiversity
History
The area is part of traditional Tāmaki Māori lands, including those of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Pāoa, Waiohua and Ngāti Tamaterā.[3] The Flat Bush School House was built adjacent to the forest in 1877, and actively used until 1929.[3] The forest was a part of the Murphy family's farm. Conway Murphy purposefully kept his cattle away from the forest in order to preserve it.[4] The bush was occasionally used by the Pakuranga Hunt for hare hunting.[5][6]
The forest was gifted to the Manukau City Council in 1981 by the Murphy family.[1] In 2012, Stancombe Cottage, a farmhouse constructed in the 1870s, was moved from its original location on Stancombe Road to the reserve adjacent to the Flat Bush School House,[3] where a heritage precinct is being constructed.[7]
Amenities
Murphy's Bush Reserve has several walking tracks, and a mix of forested and open grassland areas.[8]