BRITISH V. MAORI PLACENAMES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 204, 28 August 1926, Page 16

BRITISH V. MAORI PLACENAMES.

'To the Kullor.) _ I s!r --«'itli regard in toum-ill,-,- T. Blood worth's suggestion tlmt r.-ads streets, and so ~,, j nt tit., t . ,„.„. ;,„„,,., ,y, suburb of Omkci siumld not ]... yiven -Maori names, a word nr two woiil.i not. perhaps, be otn of )>!«,.,.. \ simil.ir situation rose in Dunc.lin nianv years ago. when the then newly-surveyed interior was being opened nn'for settlement. A s-.holarly surveyor. possessed of a cultured sense of wo'nl-vnltics. was deputed by the Provincial < '.uincil to give suitable names to certain Central Otago localities. Tliis gentlciiinn went, to no end of trouble interviewing old settlers. Maoris and others, in 7>rdcr to get picturesque native nnnies for the pl.icrs m question. Kvcutunlly h-,< sug. gc-tions came under the review of officialdom, nml he was ii-ked if he "could not find someiliing Britisli instead o' those long-winded, jaw-breaking, heathen names." Then that surveyor wont away (more or ln-s) -orrnwfiilly ond altered thosi- name, ;<i tin- hcautifully Britisli ones of Kyeburn, Kwebiirn, f>iinmerbur»i. \\"e<lderliurn. I'ipjlnirn. Hogbuni, Sowburn and many other classsical guns that may stiil ln> found on the map until this day. Here then is inspiration for Mr. I>loo<lworth. and when I lie names Miggv-ted arc exhausted. any Post OHiciDirectory of the Initi'd Kingdom dom woul<l supply others k-.ii-li-iis RliH-k----pool, (Irimsiiy. .Miiidfulii'iid, Minlicld. MiKifonl. Red mi re. Vt'orburnuv, Vnrmouth and so on. — I am. elc. y.Z. NATIXK.