[2][1] The mouth of the stream has been settled by Tāmaki Māori peoples for at least six hundred years,[4] The volcanoes adjacent to the creek, Matukutūreia and Matukutūruru were home to two hilltop pā, collectively known as Matukurua.

[5] Over 8,000 hectares of stonefield gardens were tended by Tāmaki Māori peoples on the lower slopes of the volcanoes,[6][7] where crops such as kūmara and bracken fern root were grown.

[2] In January 1836 missionary William Thomas Fairburn brokered a land sale between Tāmaki Māori chiefs, including the Puhinui Creek catchment.

[3] During World War II, American military camps were established at Totara Park, along the banks of the upper Puhinui Creek.

[10] Intensive regeneration work took place beginning in the early 2000s, leading the Puhinui Creek to be named the most improved stream at the 2016 NZ River Awards.