It is likely that the volcanic history of the area began some 625,000 years ago. The caldera was formed by at least five huge eruptions between 400,000 and 50,000 years ago, causing the collapse of the ground. The most significant collapse event with an eruptive volume of  was 230,000 years ago and associated with eruption of the Matahina Ignimbrite which covers over . The shape of the Matahina caldera was then modified (and buried/destroyed) by eight smaller eruptions which occurred between 50,000 and 24,000 years ago. The paired 47,400 ± 1500 years ago Rotoiti eruption and Earthquake Flat eruption (previously timed 65,000 years ago) at far ends of the caldera had eruptive volumes of  and  respectively. Between this eruption and 21,000 years ago over  of Mangaone silicic plinian tephras or pyroclastic flow deposits occurred but eruptive centres can not be assigned. However one of these events can be assigned to the Kawerau Ignimbrite eruption of 33,000 years ago as a location within the central part of the Matahina Caldera at level of the Puhipuhi Basin.   Volcanoes within the caldera are known to have erupted eleven times in the last 21,000 years, with all but two of those eruptions being rhyolite. Of these eruptions, two, both at Tarawera, occurred within the last 2000 years (in 1886 and ). The most explosive of the eruptions in the last 21,000 years is likely to have been that of Haroharo in about 5500 BCE, which ejected some 17 cubic kilometres of magma. During the same period Ōkataina volcanos have contributed a total magma eruptive volume of about  in all its eruptions. In summary the more significant eruptions have been: