One Tree Hill, New Zealand
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| Suburb: | One Tree Hill |
| City: | Auckland City |
| Island: | North Island |
| Surrounded by - to the north |
Epsom |
One Tree Hill, is a 182 metre volcanic peak located in Auckland, New Zealand. The suburb which is built around the base of the hill is also called One Tree Hill. The hill is also known under its Maori name Maungakiekie, which translates to 'hill of the kiekie vine'. The mountain and it's surrounds were home to the Wai o Hua tribe, since the early 1700's and probally before that time. Other Maori tribes in the Auckland area can also trace their ancestry to the Mountain. It is located seven kilometres south of the city centre, and is surrounded by the suburbs of Epsom, Greenlane, Oranga, Onehunga, and Royal Oak.
On the summit of the hill is an obelisk, the grave of Sir John Logan Campbell, and until recently a pine tree. The tree had been planted to replace a sacred Maori totara tree that was cut down by a white settler in 1852 for firewood. The obelisk was constucted in accordance with the wishes and provisions in John Campbell's will to commemorate his admiration for the Maori people. The tree was attacked with chainsaws twice by Maori radicals, and as a result was removed on October 26, 2000 as it was at risk of dying and falling down. The new hill was nicknamed "No Tree Hill", and then six trees were planted in 2002 to give the new nickname "Six Tree Hill".
One_Tree_Hill,_Auckland.jpg
The hill's scoria cones erupted 20,000 - 30,000 years ago, creating lava flows that covered an area of 20 square kilometres. The summit provides views across the Auckland area, and allows visitors to see both of Auckland's Harbours.
Irish rock band U2 wrote a song about the hill, One Tree Hill, which appeared on their The Joshua Tree album. This song was written to commemorate the death of New Zealander Greg Carroll, an employee of the band who died in a motorcycle accident in Dublin Ireland on the July 3, 1986.
The Asteroid 23988 Maungakiekie is named after the hill.
External link
- Auckland Regional Council: One Tree Hill (http://www.arc.govt.nz/volcanic/onetreehill.htm)
- One Tree Hill loses its tree (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/993105.stm) - bbc.co.uk news report from 26 October, 2000