Auckland's history is a rich blend of Māori heritage and European influence, shaping it into the vibrant city it is today. The area was first settled by Māori around 1350, with its fertile land highly prized. Many fortified villages, or pā, were constructed on the city’s volcanic peaks, making Auckland an important Māori stronghold. By the early 1700s, the Te Waiohua confederation of tribes, including Ngā Oho, Ngā Riki, and Ngā Iwi, held significant influence, with major pā at Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill) and Māngere Mountain. However, this era ended in the 1740s when the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei tribe rose to dominance following the defeat of Te Waiohua chief Kiwi Tāmaki.

Māori intertribal warfare escalated in the late 18th century with the introduction of firearms, reducing the population on the Auckland isthmus before European settlers arrived. In 1840, Ngāti Whātua chief Apihai Te Kawau signed the Treaty of Waitangi, seeking protection from the British Crown and establishing Auckland as the new capital. Governor William Hobson accepted a strategic land gift from Ngāti Whātua, laying the foundation for Auckland's development. Although Auckland was declared New Zealand's capital in 1841, it was replaced by Wellington in 1865 due to its geographic advantages.

Throughout the 19th century, Auckland’s strategic military importance grew, especially during conflicts with Māori in the mid-1800s. The British government encouraged soldiers and settlers to establish a defense line around Auckland, leading to the creation of outlying towns like Onehunga and Howick. By the 1860s, the city expanded rapidly due to its role in quelling Māori uprisings and became a commercial hub. Auckland's population surged from 1,500 in 1841 to over 12,000 by the mid-1860s, driven by mercantile growth, immigration, and the establishment of infrastructure. Despite early challenges like overcrowding, Auckland flourished, becoming the economic center of New Zealand and a city deeply rooted in both Māori and European legacies.