wˌɛn wˈɪljəm tˈɑːməs fˈɛɹbɜːn vˈɪzɪɾᵻd ðɪ ˈɛɹiə ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi θɹˈiː, ɪt wʌz mˈoʊstli ʌnˈɑːkjʊpˌaɪd dˈuː tə ðɪ ᵻvˈɛnts ʌvðə mˈʌskɪt wˈɔːɹz, æz mˈoʊst mˈɛmbɚz ʌv əŋɡˈaɪ tˈaɪ hæd flˈɛd tə tˈɛmpɚɹˌɛɹi ɹˈɛfjuːdʒ ɪnðə weɪkˈɑːɾoʊ.
When William Thomas Fairburn visited the area in 1833, it was mostly unoccupied due to the events of the Musket Wars, as most members of Ngāi Tai had fled to temporary refuge in the Waikato.