It was discovered and identified in early January 1924[3] when contractors surveyed the present State Highway 12 route through the forest.

In April 2009, Tāne Mahuta was formally partnered with the tree Jōmon Sugi on Yakushima Island, Japan.

[4] During the New Zealand drought of 2013, 10,000 litres of water from a nearby stream was diverted to Tāne Mahuta, which was showing signs of dehydration.

[6] New Zealand's Department of Conservation initiated a plan to protect and save the tree from kauri dieback.

[7] The measurements above were taken in 2002 by Dr. Robert Van Pelt, a forest ecology researcher and affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington.