COAST NOMENCLATURE

Grey River Argus, 1 March 1928, Page 5

COAST NOMENCLATURE

NAMES OF STATIONS interesting Historical Survey (Specially Written for the Argus) (By W. I’. Payne, Auckland.) Recently a letter received from a Greymoutn friend had a modest request sandwiched with the many topical items of interest, hoping that the present writer wou d ccontribute an article on West Coast names, to supplement the historical matter that is being published in connection with the celebrations of the present Diamond Jubilee of the Grey.

His correspondent states that the,! writer’s keen interest in the study of topographical nomenclature has not been forgotten and the compliment, of finding one’s hobby appreciated of* course, renders the request resistless. In looking over the list supplied one is constrained to remark that most of the Maori names quoted are spurious, that is, they have been bestowed by Europeans and not given by the original possessors of the soil. In translating such names it is necessary to know what idea the . official mind had in contemplation (they were mostly bestowed by the Railway and Postal Departments respectively) and with such knowledge there is little difficulty in supplying their meaning.

Rather appropriately the list is headed with Taipo-iti, a choice of name suggested to the Railway DcpartmenTliy the present writer. When th e Midland Railway Company had patiently pushed their wel. built line of many bridges and culverts, up the valleys of the Grey and Mawheraiti rivers and tunnelled the watershed range that is locally called “The Saddle” they stopped their construction work at a site a short distance from the Inangahua River, where they erected the Reef ton station.

In later years Messrs. Fitzgerald and Bigneh built a fine bridge for the Government and the line was continued and the station shifted across the river. It was then found necessary to provide a flag-station in the vicinity of the old site. This was erected a few chain nearer the Saddle and close by a -small feeder of the Devil Creek railed the “Little Devil” and Taipoiti is intended to represent that name. It means little or small. Taipo is not properly a Maori word but is now used in the native vernacular for Devil or Goblin. The Maori adopted the word under the impression that it was good English and the Pakeha used it for good Maori. One great authority on the Maori, the Rev. W. Colenso, thought the word was a corruption of the expression “te-tae-po” i.e. “the night corner ” but “taepo,” as a word Is not in the vocabulary of the native language. When the Diggers of the present generation wore fighting in France they corrupted the expression Dn’ya Plus” (this is no more) into “Napoo” and this coined word be

come to mean “the end,” “finished” or ‘‘nothing’' and was used by tHe French people in conversation with our soldiers under the impresion that it was English. poll forgop o odEdhr eS

Devil Creek was never called “Taipo” by the Maori; devil is a Diggers

name, and refers to the Weta, an insect commonly called the wood devil. It was übiquitous in the creek district

and annoyed the prospectors by getting on their clothes and tents. One of its scientific names is Megacephela an aptly descriptive Greek word meaning big jieadcd. The large headpjjece adorn ed with huge jaws and a long antennae certainly adds to the fierce devilish appearancee of a really inoffensive insect. There is a Maori legend that tells how the Weta, in com-

mon with certain other insects was brought to New Zealand ffrom the far off Hawaiiki in the Mangarara canoe by the chiefs Wheke-toro and Te-Wai-o-potango. The main Devil Creek was the site of considerable .seeking activities for a long time. The first quatz lease on the creek was taken up by the Union Mining Company in 1876 and in 18&2 the Globe reef was discovered and opened by the Globe Company. This reef and the adjoining property, the Progress, were taken over by English capital in 1896 and formed the celebrated Consolidated Company’s group whose combined output contributed so largely to the welfare of Beefton for many years.

From Taipoiti the line rises to the saddle and pierces the hill by a tunnel of some 'length. Emerging from the darkness, Tawhar, is approached. The station is alongside the auriferou Slab Hut Creek, so called from a solitary wooden hut roughly erected here many years ago. A long pile of tailingevidences the operations of the golddredgings that were worked more or less successfully for a long time. In pre-railway days the locality was known as Canvas Town and the name Tawhai was given by the Midland Railway Company. Tawhai is the Maori name of the birch tree. The mast or fruit of this tree in the. olden times was very attractive to the Kaiore or native rat. The Maori much prized the berry-fed little rodent as a special bon-bouche, and he trapped them in large numbers. In preparing the rat for a meal, its fur was carefully singed off. then the bones within the body were broken and extracted by the vent without breaking the skin. It was tJien cooked in the earth-oven and being very fat made choice plump morsels not unlike large sausages.

On crossing the Maimai Pains and near a small liiver of the same name, a flag-station also called Maimai is reached. In the coaching days a township called Squaretown existed, where the present Railway Station stands, and it was a busy distributing centre for the surrounding diggings for many years. Its glory -and usefulness departed with the coming of the iron horse. The name of the station was taken from the Plain. The Maimai was a certain ceremonial dance performed by the old-time Maori at the obsequies of persons of importnee in testimony of their good character and in praise of their prowess in life. The name has come down from the Ngati-tu-mata-kokiri people who at one time held possesion of this part of the West Coast.

A short distance further and Hinau. comes in view. This was the station for the Antonio’s Flat Diggings. The first rush in 1867, was a duffer. The main stream which subsequently proved one of the best on the Coast, ows its name to an early prospecto* named Antonio Lardi. The Midland Company gave thename Hinau, after the tree, whose bark the Maorie so extensively used for dying purposes, such as staining the fibre before weaving into garments. A mile from here is Mawheraiti so called from the little Mowhira River (iti means small or little). This station was the terminus of the line for some time. Near here, on a creek called Burton’s, there was a gold rush in July 1866, and a township of 600 people, called Adamstown, after the discoverer Adam Burton. “Now hoar an I dark and grave arc the creeping mosses and climbing weeds over the site where once the busy bustle of fifteen stores made it a temporary centre of commercial activity.

The name of the next station Waimaunga, is intended to represent “Blackwater” the name of the adjacent stream and old-time diggings. Instead of Waimangu, an extra vowel crept in, and this error in orthography alters the name to “mountain Water.” When the Midland had advanced this far their route lay through a private estate, the owner of which made it conditional, so the story ran, that a station would be provided and maintained for all time on a site near the homestead. At Waimaunga the Agriculture Department has a small experimental farm. , Only a short distance away is Hukarere Station, near the gently flowing Snowv River. It was erected some years later than the Midland ownership of the line. The name Hukarere given by the Bailway D «P» rtin ®" means ' ‘ snow ’ ’ as suggested by _th ?! river. (To be Continued.)

new home sewing machines. M inson’s, Christchurch, selling drop head machines from £ll/10A ‘ 1 rally finished m golden oak. Also £l2/5/- and £l5/17/6. Bail bald to your station.