Tuna Mau (Western Park)

This park near the city centre is one of the first three parks created in Auckland during the early years of the city's development.The Auckland Domain and Albert Park also lay claim to being the first public park. Initially, the land now comprising this park was used by many settlers as a place to stay temporarily before establishing a permanent residence. Maori called it Tuna Mau (which translates as Trapping of eels), as the stream which ran from the ridge now known as the Ponsonby Ridge to empty into the Waitemata in a bay known by Maori as Waiatarau, and called Freemans Bay by the Pakeha settlers. was known for the plentiful number of eels which could be trapped  here.

The land in the bay was reclaimed from the harbour, creating Victoria Park with its multiplicity of sports fields, and flat land back from the harbour's edge for light industry. (The Tank Farm, storage facility for petrol and the like) remains in use, although its days are numbered.) In 1873 it was decided to develop the land as a park, which was officially opened in November 1879. As was common then, most of the planting was of deciduous non native trees. The stream remained and became an open sewer until it was covered over, and the city's sewerage system was developed.

More recently there has been a concerted effort to plant native flora, especially in the old stream bed which has been encouraged to be  a minor wetland. This has attracted birds to the park, especially native birds.