HISTORY IN NAMES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 222, 19 September 1929, Page 9

HISTORY IN NAMES.

EARLY MAP' OF AUCKLAND. CHANGES IN NOMENCLATURE. SOME SIGNIFICANT FEATURES. History in relation to topographical nomenclature receives many peculiar twists as the outcome of the changing ideas and activities of successive generations. Perusal of an early map shows that the vagary is no exception in the case of Auckland. In 1840 or thereabouts Governor Hobson authorised Mr. Felton Mathews, the first Surveyor-General, to carry out the first official trigonometrical survey of this district, and the result was Map No. 509, under the caption of "The Capital of the Colony" as ordered to be printed by the House of Commons. The printers were Messrs. James and Luke

Hansard, whose cognomen has been so well perpetuated in the Parliamentary recorder. North Head has always maintained its designation, but the point in the vicinity of Calliope Dock, known as Stanley Bay, which in early days was the name of a headland slightly to the left of where the Waitemata 1 Hotel now stands, was called Point Favourite. So it is obvious that the name of Starfley, in honour of a well-known naval officer, actually migrated to the far side of the harbour. In the forties Stanley Point over there was Point Herald, called after the warship that cruised round the coast collecting signatures for the. Waitangi Treaty. Where Hobson Landed. Bayswater had no particular identification, but the next jutland, going up the harbour, is Northcote Point, then named Point Rough, after the first harbourmaster of the port. Kauri Point was known as Kaudi Point, the early settlers having a tendency to treat. the Maori■ letter "r" as "d." Point Shortland is now Onetaunga, the old native appellation. Probably it was so named in compliment to Edward Shortland, the native agent, who was in the Government service. On the opposite mainland of the harbour is Point Chevalier, then located as Point Bunbury, after a ship's captain. Point Erin, where Shelly Beach is situated,' was marked as Point Willoughby, in all probability as a distinction for Willoughby Shortland. It was on this point that Hobson and his party first landed in the Waitemata. They walked back towards the Tamaki viewing the country. Point Fisher was the name of the point on the west side of Freeman's Bay, near where the gasworks now stand. It will interest residents of that part of Ponsonby to know that the old map shows a roadway provided from the headland across the shallow bay leading into what is now Queen Street. Foreshore Obliteration. Like Point Favourite, Point Britomart has been obliterated, or, if it is referred to, it means a point at the foot of what is now Anfcac Avenue, the •foreshore in. early days also skirting round, close to the foot of Constitution Hill. Further on was Point Dunlop, just to the east of the new railway station, and the headland where formerly stood Dr. John Logan Campbell's home—now the site of Parnell Park—was Point Mathew, the title of the Surveyor-General. Although little known, the point at Orakei is Point Russell, named after an early medical practitioner, and the point to the east of Kohimarama was called South Head. ■ Many people hava won-

dered at the narrow formation of the point at "Kohi" itself. The fact is that Bastion Rock, which was located a little way out from the point, became absorbed in the reclamation thfit was carried out when the wharf was built. On the old map Bean Rock was merely marked "Buoy." Tamaki (spelt Tehmaki) Heads were then' known as Tamaki Heads East, and the other Tamaki Heads West. Brown's' Island was distinguished as Motu Korehoh, Motutapu (Holy Island) was Motu Tapou, and Motuihi (Piper Island) was Motuhieh. City and Takapuna. Early citizens ~ and surveyors had different opinions regarding the site for Auckland, and after all, it would be difficult to lay down a hard and fast rule, for "the plans of mice and men go oft astray." The map discloses that the present townships of Otahuhu and Panmure are marked "Intended Site of Township," but events proved the necessity of a departure fr.om this location on which to found the "Queen City of the North." Onehunga, printed Oneunga, was cited as for native settlement. All the volcanic hills retain their original names with the notable exception of Mangere, which was Mount Elliott. How Takapuna, originally applied to Lake Pupuke, became the name of a district is worthy of mention. When the Tainui canoe, with the first immigrants from Hawaiiki, entered the Waitemata Harbour, Commander Chief Hotunui moored the craft in the inlet where, stands the torpedo magazine sheds, a bay known to the Maoris as Haukapua, which means where the wind is subdued. The crew found a beautiful spring on the slope at the back of the beach. This they named Takapuna, after a similar spring that existed in their homeland village at Tahiti. This title received a general application for the North Shore, and, even when Devonport got its name at a much later date, going to Devonport meant going to Takapuna. Hence the lake became known as Lake Takapuna (Pupuke), meaning to bubble out, because passengers had to go to Takapuna to get to Devonport. The Maori people still speak of the latter place as Takapuna. The lake has lost the. name of Takapuna, and it applies to a whole district. Auckland harbour front may be expected to show continued change as progressive works are carried out to meet modern requirements. Inevitably this will mean discarding certain familiar landmark titles, and the substitution of names to suit new generations, but the tendency to drop nomenclature which has a national historic value should ever be resisted.