Local and Sports Parks West has installed a great new interpretation sign by the macrocarpas in Piha Domain. This follows the fencing off to save the trees from damage by cars driving over the roots, which has contributed to the decline of one of the two.

The trees were planted by the Cowan and Ness families who settled here in 1876. That makes them around 135 years old.

At that time the land was leased by Dr William Stockwell from its Maori owners, and was a Maori Reserve. Dr Stockwell purchased the land in the 1880s. He hoped to mill the kauri at Piha and take it out through the surf to waiting ships, but his step-sons, Charlie and Peter Keith Cowan, never found a way to achieve that.