Situated on New Zealand's North Island, Auckland is the largest
city in the country, and is home to more than 30% of the total
population. The area was inhabited from around 1350 by the Maori
people, but little recorded history survives before January 1832,
when Joseph Brooks Weller bought the area that is now Auckland. The
settlement was in a strategic position, as it had harbours on both
its east and west shores, and so it quickly grew in size and
importance.
'Auckland' was named in 1840, after the then Viceroy of India,
the Earl of Auckland. The following year, the town was declared the
capital of New Zealand. However, Wellington was seen as a better
choice for the capital, due largely to its location (almost at the
mid-point of the country) and as a result it was elevated to this
position in 1865.