History of Mātai Moana

The Land Rises

Te Motu Kairangi (precious island) was once an island. Around the year 1460, the Haowhenua earthquake lifted the land now known as Kilbirnie and Rongotai, joining the island to the mainland.

According to Māori legend, Te Whanganui-a-Tara (the great harbour of Tara) was once a lake. Two taniwha, Ngake and Whātaitai, lived there. Ngake broke free to the sea, but Whātaitai became stuck. His body is said to form the land between Te Motu Kairangi and the western harbour.

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Early Settlement

Ngāi Tara, also called Muaūpoko, were the first people to live on Te Motu Kairangi. In the early 1800s, they were attacked and pushed out by Ngāti Toa and their allies, including Te Āti Awa. By 1840, Te Āti Awa were living on the peninsula when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed.

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That same year, British settler James Coutts Crawford bought the land from the New Zealand Company to use for farming. In 1885, Shelly Bay became a navy base. Later, the air force took over. Strong defences were built on Mount Crawford during both world wars. A prison and associated staff housing was built near the top in 1927 and closed in 2012.

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Treaty Settlement and Controversy

The air force left Shelly Bay in 1995. In 2009, the Defence land was sold to Taranaki Whānui’s treaty group, Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust (PNBST). Later, PNBST made a deal with a developer, The Wellington Company, and the council to build housing and a retirement village. The plan used special housing laws that cut out public input. Many PNBST members opposed the sale, but the land was sold anyway.

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Shelly Bay conflict

Between 2015 and 2023, the Shelly Bay development caused major conflict, including a 525-day occupation by Mau Whenua, a group representing some Taranaki Whānui members. The land was cleared, and trees, including old pōhutukawa, were cut down. In 2023, Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh bought the Shelly Bay land. They began restoring the environment and plan to use the area for public and cultural purposes.

 

National Heritage Park Proposal

In 2011, local leaders said the 76-hectare Defence site above would become a national heritage park. The future of nearby land, including the old prison site, remained unclear. Some plans to sell it were discussed by Cabinet. The government agreed that the public needed to be involved due to the land’s importance. While some early community input happened, later talks were only between the Crown and PNBST.

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In 2023, PNBST and The Wellington Company applied for fast-track approval for a large housing project on Mātai Moana / Mount Crawford, on land currently occupied by the closed prison and surrounding area. If approved, the public would again be left out. The Environment Minister declined the application in May 2023, saying it should follow the usual rules. The fast-track law ended in July.

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A plan for the future

The land is still zoned as Open Space and protected under council plans. A proposal for a heritage reserve, jointly managed by Wellington City Council and Taranaki Whanui was consulted on in April 2025.