Boat Rock
Boat Rock is a tiny sandstone island in the Waitematā Harbour of Auckland, New Zealand. Boat Rock is a vanishing island, which is submerged at high tide.
Native name: Te Nihokiore, Timata | |
|---|---|
Boat Rock in the central Waitematā Harbour, pictured in 1946 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Auckland |
| Coordinates | 36°49′47″S 174°41′36″E / 36.829855°S 174.693281°E |
| Adjacent to | Waitemata Harbour |
| Administration | |
New Zealand | |
Geology edit
The rock is a piece of Waitemata Group sandstone exposed in the Waitematā Harbour.[1] The rock is an intertidal reef, exposed during low tide.[2] The surface of Boat Rock is covered in sand and shell deposits.[2]
Boat Rock is home to a number of species including sea slugs such as Dendrodoris citrina, Dendrodoris nigra and Pleurobranchaea maculata, sea snails such as Maoricolpus roseus and Dicathais orbita.[2] In addition, the island is home to kina and a species of chiton, Cryptoconchus porosus.[2]
History edit
The island was traditionally referred to by Tāmaki Māori iwi by various names, including Te Nihokiore ("The Rat's Tooth"), Timata, Te-Toka-tu-Moana ("The Rock Standing in Mid-Sea"), Te-Waka-o-Tawaroa and Te Mata-o-Kahu.[3][4] Te Nihokiore is likely a metaphor for how the rocks remain sharp despite being battered by the sea, similar to a rat's tooth.[4] The island is the namesake of the Waitematā Harbour, which literally means "Waters of Te Mata".[5] The name refers to Te Arawa chief Kahumatamomoe, who when visiting the harbour placed a mauri stone (a stone of religious significance) on Boat Rock.[5] The name Waitematā originally only referred to the upper harbour area near Boat Rock.[6] Boat Rock was traditionally used as a rohe marker, designating the boundary of influence between different Tāmaki Māori iwi.[7]
The waters surrounding Boat Rock were a traditional fishery, known by the name Waipokanoa ("The Waters of Foolishness").[7]
In 1873, an iron ship beacon was erected on the island,[8] which was damaged by ships in 1905.[9]
References edit
- ^ Hicks, SR; Kibblewhite, AC (1976). "Seismic reflection profiling in very Shallow waters in the upper Waitemata Harbour, New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics. 19 (2): 213–231. Bibcode:1976NZJGG..19..213H. doi:10.1080/00288306.1976.10423518. ISSN 0028-8306.
- ^ a b c d Hayward, Bruce W.; Morley, Margaret S.; Stephenson, A. Brett; et al. (January 1999), Intertidal and Subtidal Biota and Habitats of the Central Waitemata Harbour, Auckland Regional Council, Wikidata Q123699062
- ^ "Boat Rock". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ a b ""Waitemata." Meaning and History. A Popular Error". Auckland Star. Vol. LXII, no. 282. 28 November 1931. p. 12. Retrieved 17 May 2022 – via Papers Past.
- ^ a b Wilson, Karen (28 August 2018). (PDF). Ministry of Justice. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ Graham, George (1951). "Tainui". The Journal of the Polynesian Society. 60 (1): 80–92. ISSN 0032-4000.
- ^ a b Simmons, D. R. (1979). "George Graham's Maori Place Names of Auckland". Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum. 16: 11–39. ISSN 0067-0464. JSTOR 42906272. Wikidata Q58677091.
- ^ "Notice to Mariners". Wellington Independent. Vol. XXVIII, no. 3820. 2 June 1873. p. 2. Retrieved 17 May 2022 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Untitled". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. XLII, no. 12920. 17 July 1905. p. 6. Retrieved 17 May 2022 – via Papers Past.