Mt Eden

The Village
Maungawhau - Mt Eden
Many separate lava flows contributed to the formation of Mt Eden, a large, prominent, scoria cone which is really three overlapping cones, the southern most cone (present day Mt Eden) is the highest and measures 196 meters above sea level and has a wide conical crater that is about 50 metres deep.Even after the heaviest rains, water does not accumulate on the rocky surfaces, but finds its way through the cracked rock, into the old stream channels underneath the solidified lava, and flows along them to reach the surface again at Western Springs.

Archaeological sites bear testimony to occupation of the mountain by Maori and the mountain remains a focal point for the residents of the suburb. In 1869 a road to the summit was thought to have been built for the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh and in the 1870s a reservoir on top of the mountain improved the Auckland water supply. At the same time in order to protect the cone 27 hectares forming the Mt Eden domain was set aside as crown land. In the 1920s access was improved with the laying of paths and steps to the summit and in 1927 a tea kiosk was erected on the mountain. The kiosk was surrounded by rose gardens planted during the depression of the 1930s but have since been removed.
The mountain remains a popular tourist attraction and a wonderful vantage point to view the Auckland Isthmus. The people of Mt Eden love their mountain, it looms over Mt Eden Village and people have to look up, making Mount Eden seem higher than it really is. With green pastures and friendly cattle grazing on the slopes the people of the city have a reminder of their rural past.
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