History of Te Rimutahi site

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei gifted the name 'Te Rimutahi' for this site.

Te Rimutahi was ‘the lone rimu tree’, a sacred tree that once stood where Ponsonby and Karangahape roads now intersect.

Te Rimutahi also refers to the Ponsonby ridgeline, once a traditional walking track. This track was an important route for trading and interaction. It went from Maungawhau / Mount Eden through Te Uru Karaka (Newton Gully) to the headland sites at Te Oka pā (Pt Erin) and Te Tō pā (St Marys Bay).

Te Oka (the sharp cliff) provided a base for summer fishing for sharks. Two important streams for fresh water and resources flowed nearby. Waikuta was a creek at the foot of College Hill where kuta (reed) grew. Tunamau (many eels) was an autumn eeling camp. Both flowed into Waiatarau (waters reflecting shadows) / Freemans Bay. Today we know this reclaimed bay as Victoria Park.

Maungawhau / Mount Eden is also part of this kōrero. It is wāhi tapu with historic, spiritual and cultural significance for tangata whenua Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and other iwi and hapū of Tāmaki Makaurau.

This iconic site was occupied for centuries for its:

• strategic vantage point overlooking the isthmus
• access to resources
• rich volcanic soils.

Recent history of the site

Te Rimutahi was part of the 3000 acres of land purchased from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to establish the city of Auckland in 1840.

The initially compact town spread out onto the surrounding ridgelines as it grew. From 1860, the land in Ponsonby was subdivided into farms. Ponsonby Road thrived and saw the quick addition of workers’ cottages, houses, shops and hotels.

This site on the corner of O’Neill Street was home to the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart. It opened its doors to worshippers in 1887. A Catholic school was there from 1893.

In 1966, a new Catholic church was built on Vermont Street. The church on the O’Neill Street site was demolished and replaced by a liquor store.

The former Auckland City Council bought the land in 2006, securing a future community space in the heart of Ponsonby.