Shifting Grounds: Deep Histories of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

by Lucy Mackintosh

In a city that has forgotten and erased much of its history, there are still places where traces of the past can be found. Deep histories, both natural and human, have been woven together over hundreds of years in places across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, forming potent sites of national significance. This stunning book unearths these histories in three iconic Pukekawa/Auckland Domain, Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill and the Ōtuataua Stonefields at Ihumātao. Approaching landscapes as an archive, Lucy Mackintosh delves deeply into specific places, allowing us to understand histories that have not been written into books or inscribed upon memorials, but which still resonate through Auckland and beyond. Shifting Grounds provides a rare historical assessment of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland's past, with findings and stories that deepen understanding of New Zealand history.

Genres: Nonfiction

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Jon Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read covering different threads of three places in Tāmaki Makaurau - Ihumātao, Maungakiekie/one tree hill and Pukekawa / the domain. Looks at the history that isn't told of these places and ties it into an excellent narrative. Should be a mandatory read for people on the Cornwall park trust board.

[Bailey Masters · Rating 5 out of 5]

TLDR; You'll be stunned by how much you enjoy the history of Auckland's 19th century olives.

In a city which has too often ignored its history, shifting grounds is a much needed study of Auckland that, despite my initial assumptions, goes far beyond simply showing that Auckland "has" history (which it obviously does).

Instead Mackintosh uses Auckland's rich and varied history as a platform to challenge the popular view of a Maaori landscape now tamed by Europeans. Instead Mackintosh paints a picture of a city landscape that is, firstly, still very Maaori - tracing the shaping of, movement across and the intimate knowledge and relationship with the whenua that only mana whenua could have.

Secondly, Mackintosh beautifully illustrates how Maaori, Chinese and Italian influences at the likes of Pukekawa (Auckland Domain) complicate the neat settler narratives of NZ as a "Britain of the South". I like the additional hypothesis too that Paakehaa knew this and found the challenge to their vision of the colonial project unsettling - hence the absence of these narratives in classic histories of Auckland.

Overall, Lucy Mackintosh's Shifting Grounds has forever changed my perception of Auckland. Cornwall Park is now to me an olive grove, a Maaori Kaainga, a Chinese Market Garden, and a monument to the layers upon layers of history beneath. It is also just simply gorgeous. I'll be keeping this book forever.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very edifying social history of Aotearoa's biggest city.

[Sam Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this as part of some site research for a project and it turned out to be a great read. Interesting way of telling a historical narrative of place over time. Even handed perspective that gives an insight into human motivations that led to events that shaped auckland and NZ.

[Peter G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy Mackintosh’s Shifting Grounds is a hyper-localised history of three significant sites within Auckland city. The first of these is Pukekawa, or the Auckland Domain; the second Maungakiekie, or One Tree Hill; and the third is the Ihumātao Peninsula and particularly the Ōtuataua Stonefields within. In each site, she considers its ‘deep’ history, looking at the ways the land has been utilised by different groups of people throughout time. A detailed investigation of documents, pictures, and archeological evidence supports the claims that she lays out throughout this document. The book appears to have been an extension of her doctoral thesis, though it is by no means dry or pedantic for all that. In fact, if anything, the text feels light, fluid, and companionable. This could be read by absolutely anyone and they’d all get something out of it in my opinion.

There is also a memory studies dimension to this text, where Mackintosh considers how, of these diverse uses, some as more prominently inscribed and emphasised on the current-day landscape than others to form a collective understanding of these sites that reflects what Raymond Williams in cultural studies would call a ‘selective tradition’. This is an idea that has caught on in a big way more recently in New Zealand and is increasingly as well an interest of my own. As a born and raised Aucklander it's hard not to feel a bit nostalgic, even a bit abashed, at the fact that I have been through many of these places hundreds of times without a consideration of how they came to be. So many of the odd features of our landscape — Maungakiekie’s Egyptian obelisk or the quaint English tearooms in the Domain — are normalised by their total familiarity. As I was reading this, so many small things suddenly struck me as alien and hard to reconcile with their surroundings. I honestly think that for many people this book could be transformative in the way it allows them to see the sites around them with new eyes and appreciate the way that history is not all distant events but also something inherent to our contemporary landscapes and the dirt under our feet.

As an aside, has there ever been a Bridget Williams Books book that hasn’t been absolutely worth the price of admission? I can’t really think of any other publisher in New Zealand as consistently excellent as this one. I think this book, one of their recent offerings, is an absolute excellent hit. Highly recommended.

[Selina · Rating 5 out of 5]

History for Aucklanders - all connected with this whenua ought to read this book.
Features One Tree Hill/Ihumatao Stonefields/Auckland Domain. I was particularly interested in Lucy Mackintosh's unearthing of Chinese market gardeners Ah Chee and co tenure near the Domain (now the site of Carlaw Park). I love how it covers parts of our shared history that have been overlooked. Though history is as far deep as you want to dig this one is a hidden gem.

[Susan Wilson]

A new way to learn history for me that didn’t always sit comfortable as I was sometimes left wanting. In hindsight, that was perfect as there is always more to uncover (or that is lost) in our history. Excellent book for anyone that loves NZ History and/or Tamaki.

[Peter Lineham · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant book with jewel-like language, rich attention to detail stunning illustrations and above all superb attention to the complexities in any history of place. I am deeply enriched in my understanding of Auckland.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and well written and illustrated story of the history of three areas of Auckland

[Angela Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deep dive into the history of three iconic areas of Auckland New Zealand left me wanting to own my copy of this book as it brings fascinating insight into little known stories and importantly has wonderful illustrations which bring much light onto the subjects. This is a book which would be a great addition to any coffee table as it is suited to random exploration and repeated browsing.
It emphasises the multicultural aspect of Auckland’s settlement with reference for example to the establishment of Chinese market gardens close to the Domain, and the Italian contribution to the production of olive oil at One Tree Hill.
Ihumatao, the Auckland Domain and One Tree Hill are brought to life
as the author peels back the layers, giving views of Auckland previously overlooked. We see our city’s environment in a new light.
The text is the basis of a PhD and at times reads like a thesis but this is not necessarily a book to be read in its entirety but to be savoured in small portions.