Hutt River Names

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 72, 18 December 1937, Page 18

Hutt River Names

The Hutt River, which enters Wellington harbour on the north-eastern shore, is'the only stream of water flowing into the harbour which may truly . be termed a river, though in the early days of European settlement the Waiwetu, Koro Koro, and Waitohi delivered larger volumes of water before the surrounding hills were denuded of bush. The name Hutt was given by the oflicials of the New Zealand Company to perpetuate \ the memory of William Hutt, a shareholder in that company, and one of the members of the original New Zealand Association of 1837. Apparently he had faith in the possibilities of colonising and backed it with his money; his faith was not misplaced. The Hutt River was known to the Maori by at least three Native names, all sounding far more euphonious than Hutt. The Maori of recent occupation termed the river Heretaunga, a name " still preserved in a settlement in the tipper valley, but at one time applied to the whole district adjacent to the river. The late Elsdon Best in “The Land of Tara,” said that the name Heretaunga was given far back in the days of Tara and Tautoki, about 700 years ago, when those two brothers occupied these parts. A visitor named Rangi-Nul from the Heretaunga district in Hawke’s Bay had a discussion with the two brothers, and in the course of conversation referred to the advantages and disadvantages of the two Heretaungas. Rangi-Nui said, “O, son, let the river Te Awa-Kairangi be Heretaunga in memory of our discourse.” And from that time onward .the name became Heretaunga. In this remark by Rangi-Nui we read the use of another name, Te Awa-Kairangi. It had apparently been of more ancient i. use. An old Maori who took part in a raid of northern warriors away back in 1819-20 told the late John White of the adventures experienced on our harbour, and attacks on pas on the Hutt River. He referred to the river as Wai Orotu, which is the third Maori name applied to the river. The tribal name of the Rangitane people was Tini-o-Orotu when they were in possession at Heretaunga, Hawke’s Bay, in the early days so that it is probable that the name Orotu was “transplanted” as the Maori had a fondness for perpetuating his home names.— H. Maynard (Hataitai).