Auckland's Sky Tower is one of the most iconic buildings in the country.
Auckland has been shaped by key historical moments in the lead up to the 175 years celebrations over Anniversary Weekend this year.
The city was named for George Eden, Earl of Auckland and the land was offered by iwi Ngati Whatua as a sign of goodwill between Maori and the Crown.
Auckland City was originally named capital of New Zealand in 1841, after the Northland settlement in Russell ceded the title. Capital status was given to Wellington in 1865, as a more central location.
The distinctive harbour bridge was officially opened on May 30, 1959. This bridge opened up the potential of the North Shore, a sparsely populated rural area at the time. This bridge remains at the centre of debates about walking, rail or cycleway access (because it has none) to a large part of the region.
The city has had a fair share of controversy. In 1977, a 506-day occupation was held by Ngati Whatua at Bastion Point after it was claimed land was 'unlawfully' confiscated by the Crown. This protest came to an end on May 25, 1978 when 800 police led a forcible eviction of the area.
On December 7, 1981 in retaliation against the apartheid regime in South Africa, an All Blacks versus Springboks rugby test at Eden Park was flour-bombed by a protester in a light plane. This came after a 'whites-only' Springbok team was allowed to come to New Zealand, sparking mass protests.
The Queen Street riot on December 7, 1984, was thought to have begun after a power cut halted a concert featuring Dave Dobbyn, Herbs and The Mockers. Some of the 100,000+ concert-goers threw bottles at police and the resulting melee spilled out into the streets, leaving smashed shop windows, bottles and upturned cars in the aftermath.
On July 10, 1985, the Greenpeace flagship The Rainbow Warrior was bombed in the Auckland Harbour by French operatives. This followed mass protests over nuclear testing by the French at the Mururoa Atoll. Portuguese-Dutch photographer Fernando Pereira was killed in the attack.
On March 3, 1997, the Auckland skyline received a dramatic spike when the Sky Tower was officially opened in the centre of the CBD. This structure now one of the most recognised in the country.
Seven territorial councils were merged into one "super city" Auckland on November 1, 2010. It is the largest council in Australasia, with a $3 billion annual budget, $29 billion of ratepayer equity, and about 8000 staff.
In 2011, New Zealand hosted the world's best rugby players in the seventh Rugby World Cup. After battling it out with old enemies, the All Blacks faced France in the final at Eden Park and won 8 points to 7 in a gutsy all-in performance. The only other time the All Blacks have claimed the trophy was at the inaugural 1987 tournament in, you guess it, Auckland.
And in 2014 on April 11, Auckland played host to royal darlings, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their young son George for his first visit to our shores.
Fun facts about Auckland:
- Auckland has six sister cities:
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Hamburg, Germany
Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
Busan, South Korea
Los Angeles, California, United States
Taichung, Taiwan
- The motto on the Auckland city coat of arms is 'advance'.
- One in three Aucklanders own a boat