Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust Chairperson Marama Royal says Auckland's anniversary day should be celebrated on the 18 September. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Ngāti Whatua Ōrākei wants to keep publicly celebrating 18 September as Auckland's true founding day.
The hapū on Sunday celebrated 182 years since Chief Apihai Te Kawau gifted the area the city was built on, when he entered in partnership with Governor William Hobson.
The city has its anniversary day public holiday in January, to mark the day Hobson dropped anchor in Kororareka-Russell, more than 200 kilometres away.
Ngāti Whatua Ōrākei Trust Chair Marama Royal said the hapū was encouraging a conversation about the date.
"We would like to see where that conversation goes and we just believe that the 18th of September 1840 when the exchange of tōku whenua happened, that day would be more significant to celebrate as the birth of Auckland".
"We will certainly start the conversation with the new mayor and councillors here in Tāmaki and hopefully get the support to enable us to advocate it through to the central government," said Royal.
It was possible, and the hapū would continue to raise it, Royal said.
"Who would have thought that we would have had a public holiday for Matariki three, four years ago? And look where we are now.
"So for me, it's never say never the conversation needs to start. We want to have that conversation, and we would like to see it happen as quickly and as soon as possible," Royal said.
It was important to reflect on how Tāmaki Makaurau came to be, she said.
"If it wasn't for the gifting of those 3000 acres to come down here and establish Auckland City, and of course to make it into the capital of New Zealand at that time, our city would look quite different today," Royal said.
