Puni Pā site — a link to our past

Located on the outskirts of Pukekohe, within the Franklin District south of Auckland, Puni Pā is an historical site dating back 600 years. On Thursday, 11 August, members from Auckland Council and Citycare Property joined local iwi representatives at the site to recognise an agreement for Citycare Property to take up the ongoing maintenance of the site.

From left: George Favell (Ngati Te Ata Kaumatua), Trish Teaurere (Citycare Property), Lyall Flavell (Ngati Te Ata), Justin Foote (Citycare Property) Papaka Brown (Ngati Te Ata), Danica Subritzky (Ngati Te Ata), Darryn Commerer (Citycare Property), Sam Isaia (Auckland Council).

Ngāti Te Ata Kaumatua, George Flavell, provided some insight into the site and its wider importance as a ‘non-defended’ pa on, what was then, the main ara (route) from Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland to the Waikato River.

“Surface excavations of the site reveal a number of rua pits and open rua, which would have been used to store kumara and other crops,” says George. “Other evidence, such as obsidian, flaked rock and ash, would suggest that human habitation also occurred on site, although there is no direct evidence that the site would have been a fortified pā — fenced, certainly, but not necessarily defended.

“Given its proximity to pā at Aka Aka and Purapura (Cameron Town), and its location on a well-worn travel route, it is highly probable that the site, which could have taken in hundreds of acres, was primarily for food production and food storage, although we can never be fully certain.”

Significant evidence of the site’s history can be found in the prevalence of rua pits, both stone-lined (left) — unusual for this area — and open rua (right).

Under its open spaces maintenance contract with council, Citycare Property has previously been responsible for the ongoing maintenance of an area directly adjoining the pā site, but not the actual site, itself. However, with permission from iwi representatives, and following a request from council to remediate the site, it has now been added to the maintenance schedule.

“Council contacted us after it was discovered that self-seeding pine trees were causing damage to the site and asked us to remove the pest trees and generally tidy the area, which had become very overgrown and was all but obscured from view,” says Citycare Property Area Manager, Darryn Commerer. “The team did a fantastic job and it is very pleasing that council has formalised the arrangement by making it a part of the open spaces maintenance contract.” 

Sam Isaia, Auckland Council Franklin Facilities Manager, adds: “The Citycare Property team of Trish Teaurere and Darryn Commerer did a fantastic job clearing the space, but also in understanding the cultural significance and sensitivity of the site. Prior to starting work, both parties collaborated with iwi around any potential sensitivity issues, including whether a blessing of the Citycare Property teams working on the site was required, through to identifying any areas that may have been restricted from the use of machinery.

Installed by Ngati Te Ata, this stone identifies the site as being of significance to Ngati Te Ata as an area of food production and storage.

“The result is incredibly pleasing and the iwi has expressed their appreciation of the work that was completed and the collaboration of all parties involved. I feel very privileged to have been involved in resurrecting and preserving a part of our history that could have easily been forgotten and lost to future generations.”

During the onsite meeting, George Flavell expressed the hopes of Ngati Te Ata to include the site amongst others that are used in school educational programmes designed to teach children about such significant sites and the peoples who lived throughout the area prior to European settlement, as well as their practices.