Motions Creek
| Motions Creek | |
|---|---|
 Mouth of the Motions Creek, seen from the Meola Reef | |
  Mouth of the Motions Creek .png)  Motions Creek (New Zealand) | |
Route of the Motions Creek | |
| Native name | Māori: Waiateao, Waiorea |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Auckland Region |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Western Springs Reserve |
| • coordinates | 36°52′01″S 174°43′35″E / 36.86681°S 174.72635°E |
| Mouth | Waitematā Harbour |
• coordinates | 36°51′16″S 174°42′43″E / 36.85435°S 174.71195°E |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Motions Creek → Waitematā Harbour → Hauraki Gulf → Pacific Ocean |
| Bridges | Motions Road Bridge, Meola Road Bridge |
Motions Creek (Māori: Waiateao or Māori: Waiorea) is a creek in Auckland, New Zealand. It flows northwards from Western Springs Reserve on the Auckland isthmus, entering the Waitematā Harbour to the east of Meola Reef.
Geography
The creek originates at Western Springs Reserve, flowing northwards through the suburb of Western Springs, adjacent to Westmere.[1] The creek flows into the Waitematā Harbour to the east of Meola Reef,[2] parallel to Meola Creek, which flows into the Waitematā Harbour to the west of the reef.[1] The lower tidal sections of the creek are bordered by mangrove forests.[3]
The Motions Creek catchment spans an area of 544 hectares (1,340 acres) of Auckland, beginning from northern Maungawhau / Mount Eden and including the suburbs of Eden Terrace, Morningside, Arch Hill, Kingsland, parts of southern Grey Lynn, and western Westmere.[3] The majority of the upper reaches of the catchment are piped, with the stream visible as it flows through Western Springs Reserve and the Auckland Zoo.[3] Prior to the construction of the lake at Western Springs, the area was a natural freshwater aquifer, where water comes through the surface through cracks in basalt lava flow from Te Tātua a Riukiuta.[4][2]
History
The Tāmaki Māori names associated with the stream are Waiorea ("Waters of the Eels"), associated with Western Springs Reserve, and Waiateao.[3][5] The kāinga Te Rehu, dating to the 1820s, was located beside the creek estuary.[5]
In 1846, Scottish settler William Motion established Low and Motion's Four Mill on the banks of the creek, which operated until 1875.[6][7][5] During the early colonial period, the creek was known as Mill Creek, eventually becoming known as Motions Creek, after William Motion.[1] In the 1870s, the Auckland City Council purchased Motion's property, establishing an artificial lake on the creek, and constructing the Western Springs Pumping Station, which operated from 1877.[6][8][9]
The Motions landfill operated adjacent to the stream between 1930 and 1972.[3]
Gallery
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Low and Motions' Flour Mill on the banks of the Motions Creek, c. 1870s. -
.jpg)
Motions Creek at Auckland Zoo -
Aerial view of Meola Reef, with Meola Creek to the left and Motions Creek to the right
References
- ^ a b c "Motions Creek". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ a b Waitematā Local Board (August 2020). Te mahere whakawhanake i te papa rēhia o Te Wai Ōrea. Western Springs Lakeside Te Wai Ōrea park development plan (PDF) (Report). Auckland Council. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Meola Reef Reserve Te Tokaroa Development Plan (PDF) (Report). Waitematā Local Board. 2017. ISBN 978-1-98-852963-9.
- ^ Cameron, Ewen; Hayward, Bruce; Murdoch, Graeme (2008). A Field Guide to Auckland: Exploring the Region's Natural and Historical Heritage (Revised ed.). Random House New Zealand. p. 196. ISBN 978-1-86962-1513.
- ^ a b c Tatton, Kim; Clough, Rod (February 2019). Grey Lynn Tunnel: Archaeological and Historic Heritage Assessment (PDF) (Report). Clough & Associates.
- ^ a b "Discover Te Wai Ōrea Western Springs Lakeside" (PDF). Auckland Council. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ^ "Flour, bread and bakeries". Heritage et AL. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ^ "Our History". MOTAT. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ "Pumping Station (Former)". Welcome to Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.