Story: Wetlands

The primeval character of old Auckland is captured in this 1889 painting by Alfred Sharpe, ‘Golden evening, New Zealand’. The swampy land is covered with rushes, tree ferns, flax and cabbage trees. When first seen by Europeans, Auckland had extensive wetlands and swamps. These were quickly drained and reclaimed for settlement. One of the best known was the cabbage tree swamp, now the site of Eden Park and surrounding residential areas.