Much of what has been recorded about Te Onewa’s Maori past comes from George Graham (1874-1952), who lived near the end of the Point. Graham, a lawyer whose grandfather had been on Governor Hobson’s staff, was married to Takurangi Kahupeka Hapi, the daughter of Pataka Hapi of the Waikato. Graham acted as an intermediary with local Maori and had an enduring interest in the Maori history of the area. Pataka Hapi and Anaru Makiwhara Te Rira (Ngai Tai) described a pa at the end of the Point that had protected nearby kumara cultivations and fishing grounds. The pa itself was protected by a fortified trench dividing it off from the rest of the Point. According to Graham, the name Te Onewa (‘divided earth’) is a reference to this trench.
Price, William Archer. Northcote Point, Northcote, Auckland ca 1900.
William Price Collection PA-Coll-3057 (1/2-1/2-001717-G).
Alexander Turnbull Library.