ABSTRACT
From its establishment in 1840 as the seat of the British colonial government, Auckland was destined to play a significant role in New Zealand’s development. Its location in the northern part of New Zealand, on an isthmus which narrowly separates the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea, had for centuries made it a place coveted by Māori 1 and attractive to the British in the colonial settlement of New Zealand. Auckland’s expansion and development over time reflected broader national trends that included the same colonial ambitions as the rest of the country, but at the same time the foundations on which Auckland was built set it apart as a major population centre and ultimately as New Zealand’s only global city.
