One Tree Hill

Towering above Cornwall Park is the 182m volcano called One Tree Hill.



On the summit of the hill is the grave of Sir John Logan Campbell surmounted by an obelisk. The obelisk was constructed in accordance with the wishes and provisions in John Campbell's will to commemorate his admiration for the Māori people. Before it stands a bronze statue of a Māori warrior. The stone obelisk was completed by 1940 – the centennial year of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi but the unveiling of the obelisk was delayed until 24 April 1948, after World War II was over, in keeping with Māori custom of not holding such ceremonies during a time of bloodshed.






When Auckland was founded as a colonial town a tree stood near the summit which gave the hill its English name. Two accounts identify it as a pohutukawa (metrosideros excelsa). This tree was cut down by a white settler in 1852, in an act of vandalism in one account,[citation needed] or for firewood in another.[2] It seems likely this was a different tree from the totara (podocarpus totara) which, as a sacred tree, had given the hill one of its Maori names. A radiata pine was planted in the 1870s to replace the previous totara.[10] John Logan Campbell repeatedly tried to grow native trees on the hill's summit, but the trees failed to survive - with only two pines, originally part of a shelter belt for the native trees, surviving for long. However, in the 1960, one of the two was felled in another attack,[2] possibly for firewood.[citation needed]



What's left of the One Tree.

The remaining tree was later attacked twice with chainsaws by Māori protesters (partly because it was not a native New Zealand species and thus considered an insult). The first attack happened on 28 October 1994, the anniversary of the 1835 Declaration of Independence.[11] A second attack on 5 October 2000[12] left the tree unable to recover even though substantial efforts were made, and so it was removed due to the risk of it collapsing.[2] The chainsaw used in the first attack was later placed on sale on popular New Zealand auction site, TradeMe in 2007,[13] but later withdrawn by the website after complaints and a poll of users. It was later listed on eBay.[14]

Partly due to uncertainty as to what species of tree should be replanted (a new pine or a tree native to New Zealand), the summit stands empty at the moment, except for the obelisk. A new nickname, "N(one) Tree Hill", soon became popular. Plans are ongoing to plant a grove of pohutukawa and totara trees at the summit, but concerns by local iwi over Treaty of Waitangi claims have so far prevented any actual planting.[15] The Council also had to remove repeated illegal plantings, usually of pohutukawa, over the last years.[16]

The view from the top is incredible.






This should look familiar - Remuera, home.


A kiwi in its native habitat!


A cool tree.



A monument.