Turanga Creek

Turanga Creek
View of the Turanga Creek from Whitford
Route of the Turanga Creek
Mouth of the Turanga Creek Show map of Auckland Turanga Creek (New Zealand) Show map of New Zealand
Native name	Tūranga (Māori)
Location
Country	New Zealand
Region	Auckland Region
Physical characteristics
Source
• coordinates	36°59′09″S174°56′56″E / 36.9859°S 174.949°E / -36.9859; 174.949
Mouth	Tamaki Strait
• coordinates	36°53′34″S174°57′33″E / 36.8929°S 174.9592°E / -36.8929; 174.9592
Basin features
Progression	Turanga Creek → Tamaki Strait → Hauraki Gulf → Pacific Ocean
Landmarks	Wade Island, Whitford
Tributaries
• left	Mangemangeroa Creek

The Turanga Creek, also known as the Turanga River or Turanga Estuary, is a stream and tidal estuary in the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. The township of Whitford was founded at the navigable headlands of the creek.

Geography

The Turanga Creek is a drowned valley system. ^[1] The creek begins in Tuscany Estate near the intersection of Michael Bosher Way and Redoubt Road, flowing northwards to Whitford and out to the Hauraki Gulf. ^[2] Wade Island is located in the estuary at the mouth of the creek, named after the early European settlers Isaac and Eve Wade, who purchased the island in 1852. ^[3]

History

View of the Whitford Wharf on the Turanga Creek in 1897

The eastern coast of Auckland was visited by the Tainui migratory waka around the year 1300. The waka landed at Tūranga Creek, tethered to a volcanic rock in the shape of a man. This gave rise to the name of the creek, Tūranga, which means "Anchorage". ^[4] The anchor can still be found today, and is a 1.5 metre in diameter siliceous sinter found in the mudflats near Clifton Road. ^[5] Tainui followers of Manawatere, who identified as Ngā Oho, decided to settle the area between the Pōhutukawa Coast and Tūwakamana (Cockle Bay). Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, the mana whenua of the area, descend from these early settlers. ^{[6] [7]} Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki traditional stories talk about the land already being occupied by the supernatural Tūrehu people, and many place names in the area reference Tūrehu figures, such as Hinerangi and Manawatere. ^[6] Tūranga became the name of the hill overlooking the west bank of the estuary, and the name was applied to the pā and kāinga of the estuary. ^[8]

The creek area was known as a traditional source for eels (tuna), lampreys (kanakana) and flounder (pātiki). ^[9] When William Thomas Fairburn visited the area in 1833, it was mostly unoccupied due to the events of the Musket Wars, as most members of Ngāi Tai had fled to temporary refuge in the Waikato. ^{[6] [10]} In 1836, Fairburn purchased 40,000 acres between Ōtāhuhu and Umupuia (Duders Beach), including much of the catchment of the Wairoa River. ^[10] Fairburn's Purchase was investigated by the New Zealand Land Commission in 1841 and 1842 and found to be excessive and reduced in size. The disallowed parts of his purchase were not returned to Ngāi Tai, however in 1854 a reserve was created for Ngāi Tai around Umupuia. ^[10]

The town of Whitford was established on the creek in the 1840s by European settlers. The creek was the main transport link for the town to the outside world until the 1920s, when road transport became more popular. ^[11] In the late 1870s, John Granger established a brickworks along the shores of the creek. ^[12] During World War II, home guard soldiers dug trenches along the creek. ^[13]

Amenities

Wades Walkway, also known as the Whitford Path, starts in Whitford, and follows the western banks of the Turanga Creek. ^{[14] [15]}

References

1. "Tūranga". LAWA. Auckland Council . Retrieved 19 June 2023.
2. "Turanga Creek". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
3. "Wade Island". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
4. Green, Nathew (2011). "From Hawaīki to Howick – A Ngāi Tai History". Grey's Folly: A History of Howick, Pakuranga, Bucklands-Eastern Beaches, East Tamaki, Whitford, Beachlands and Maraetai. By La Roche, Alan. Auckland: Tui Vale Productions. pp. 16–33. ISBN   978-0-473-18547-3. OCLC   1135039710.
5. La Roche, Alan 2011, p. 322.
6. Heritage Department of the Auckland Regional Council. "Duder Regional Park – Our History" (PDF). Auckland Council . Retrieved 30 August 2021.
7. Green, Nat (2010). Ōtau: a Ngāi Tai Cultural Heritage Assessment of Clevedon Village, Wairoa Valley (PDF) (Report). Auckland Council . Retrieved 21 October 2022.
8. Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki and the Trustees of the Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki Trust and the Crown (7 November 2015). "Deed of settlement schedule documents" (PDF). NZ Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
9. La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 175.
10. Clough, Tom; Apfel, Aaron; Clough, Rod (June 2020). 109 Beachlands Road, Beachlands, Auckland: Preliminary Archaeological Assessment (PDF) (Report). Environmental Protection Authority . Retrieved 21 October 2022.
11. "History of Howick, Pakuranga and surrounding areas". Times Newspapers. 11 April 2005. Archived from the original (web) on 25 October 2006. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
12. "June 1877". Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. MJ_1103. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
13. La Roche, Alan 2011, p. 265.
14. Janssen, Peter 2021, p. 156.
15. "Whitford Path". Auckland Council . Retrieved 21 June 2023.

Bibliography

• Janssen, Peter (January 2021). Greater Auckland Walks. New Holland Publishers. ISBN   978-1-86966-516-6. Wikidata   Q118136068.
• La Roche, Alan (2011). Grey's Folly: A History of Howick, Pakuranga, Bucklands-Eastern Beaches, East Tamaki, Whitford, Beachlands and Maraetai. Auckland: Tui Vale Productions. ISBN   978-0-473-18547-3. OCLC   1135039710. Wikidata   Q118286377.