MOUNT EDEN
Mount Eden is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, situated north of Three Kings, west of Balmoral, south of Newmarket, and east of Epsom. It is located five kilometres south of the city centre.
The central focus of the suburb is an extinct volcano whose summit (at 196 metres) is the highest on the Auckland isthmus. Mt Eden (Maungawhau - "Hill of the Whau plant" - in Maori) is named after George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland.
The volcano erupted several times resulting in a series of craters some of which have been made the site of water reservoirs from as early as 1877. The last eruption was about 60,000 years ago. The summit of Mt Eden is 196 metres above sea level and the majestic bowl-like crater is 50 metres deep.
 STRATEGIC SITE USE
In the pre-european period it was utilised as a fortified hill pa by various Maori Tribes. Its occupation ended in 1700 A.D when the Waiohua defeated the Tamaki people. The earth ramparts and terraces from this period contribute to the distinctive outline of the hill.
From the 1950s the peak was used for VHF radio communications in two buildings, several hundred metres apart, each with their own antenna farm. The buildings housed transmitting equipment in one and receiving equipment in the other. Due to the large numbers of valves that simply wore out under the stress of high power and continuous service, the site was manned during the 5 day working week for many years in the 1960s. Typical use of the facility was for taxis, trucks and vans, and other businesses needing mobile communications.
SURROUNDING AREAS
The area directly around the hill is comprised of very fertile free draining soil mixed with a great deal of volcanic debris in the form of scoria rocks. When Europeans came to the area they found a landscape devoid of large trees, as anything of any size had been cut down by the Maori for various uses, such as the timber palisades of the pa. The land was covered with bracken, flax and manukau trees, with whau shrubs growing on the hill. The European cleared the land of the scoria rocks and made fences with them to define property boundaries. This resulted in a landscape reminiscent of Ireland or the Scottish lowlands. These scoria walls are still a feature of the suburb today.
The Presbyterian Boys Hostel at 22 View Road is a historic building that became the first home for many young men, who moved to Auckland to train in government and industry, at low rates of pay.
Eden Park has been home to Auckland Cricket since 1910, and also hosts international test and one-day cricket matches. The ground has also been the home of the Auckland Rugby Union since 1925.
LAND USE
Initially the land was utilised for farms, but from quite early on the area hosted country residences of professionals and business people from Auckland. Most of the farm land was subdivided into suburban plots (albeit large ones) between 1870 and 1875, and the principal roads were formed by the Crown. Mt Eden's first school opened in 1877 on the corner of Mt Eden and Valley roads. In 1879 the mountain was officially protected as a public reserve. The tea kiosk on the slope of Mt Eden was built in 1927.
Mt Eden is now a "leafy suburb" of predominantly large houses from the first half of the 20th century. The gardens are verdant and the trees have grown large. On the eastern slopes of Mt Eden were constructed several large country houses set in palatial grounds. These included "Harewood House" (now the site of the Mater Hospital), Justice Gillies "Rocklands Hall"(now a hostel) Alfred Buckland's "Highwic" (now a museum), the Hellaby family's "Florence Court" and Josiah Clifton Firth's "Clifton House" (both still private residences). Close by the current Government House (residence of the Governor General) is Eden Gardens, a botanical garden set up in a disused quarry.
SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
There are several prestigious schools located in and around Mt Eden, as well as the Epsom Campus of the University of Auckland (previously the Auckland College of Education). In the 1950s and 1960s the inner suburbs became unfashionable and the old houses of the Mt Eden area were comparatively cheap to buy.
Mt Eden developed a slightly bohemian image during this time as a community of artists, writers, teachers and university lecturers made it their home. To a greater or lesser degree Mt Eden village is still regarded by many as the "Home Of Arts" in Auckland, due to the large amount of creative activity in and around the suburb and the large number of artists who live nearby.
FAMOUS PRISON
To most New Zealanders, however, the name Mount Eden is inextricably linked with another of the suburb's features, the country's best known prison. Mount Eden Prison was built in the castle style between 1882 and 1917 and is constructed out of the local basalt rock, one of the very few buildings built in this uncompromising material. Built with prison labour it was designed by P.F.M. Burrows and is very similar in appearance to Dartmoor Prison in England.
A song was written, performed and published about an infamous escapee from Mt Eden, George Wilder. The first time, 29 January 1963, he had been free for 172 days, during which time he had travelled 1,620 miles and committed 40 crimes. In 1962, Pat Boone's "Speedy Gonzales" became "George The Wilder Colonial Boy", by the Howard Morrison Quartet.
From Wikipedia.org, the Free Encyclopedia
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Mt Eden from One Tree Hill
Terraces on the southern slopes of Mt Eden
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