The river flowed eastwards along the Waitematā Harbour, turning north-east along the Rangitoto Channel, and entering the ocean to the north of Great Barrier Island.

Once sea-levels rose between 12,000 and 7,000 years ago, the Upper Waitematā Harbour was flooded, becoming an estuary.

[11] The shores of the estuary had numerous kāinga (unfortified villages), and the area was known for its diverse seafood resources.

[12] By the first half of the 19th century, the headlands of Oruamo and Lucas Creek were some of the most densely settled areas of the North Shore by Tāmaki Māori.

[16] In the late 1830s and 1840s, settlers purchased many areas of the Upper Waitematā Harbour from Ngāti Whātua.

[19] During the 19th century, the river and its tributaries were the major means of transportation for communities in the area, including Albany (then known as Lucas Creek) and Beach Haven.