Correcting Place-Names

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1076, 13 September 1930, Page 8

Correcting Place-Names

Advisory Board’s Work WHEN a place-name is swept into oblivion by heavy and, more often than not, clumsy official hands, a vague shadow of regret passes over the community, disappears with extraordinary rapidity, and the alteration is promptly forgotten, except, perhaps, among rlieumy-eyed oldest inhabitants. But one finds fascination in an outwardly drab official report announcing the passing of familiar New Zealand place-names, for better and for worse.

In former years, officials of tlie New Zealand Government who have dealt with place-names have not distinguished themselves. They have mostly shown an amazing lack of originality, with the result that many of the European names which have supplanted the Maori originals are drab and depressing in the extreme. In the early years of European administration, the officials revealed ability in contorting native nomenclature out of all recognition, frequently, and, more frequently, out of sense. Because of this, the Government of 1930 is making an attempt to correct the blunders of the Victorians. All the same, it is significant that the New Zealand Government of the present time does not entrust this important work to ordinary officials. With a flourish of wisdom, it relies upon the recommendations of an Honorary Geographic Advisory Board, whose members, from Wellington, decide authentic Maori names for localities in distant corners of New Zealand. The board has done a good deal to improve some frightful errors but even its work is not above correction. For instance, it was recently advised by the Akarana Maori Association to alter Te Kauwhata to the correct form of Takauwhata. The board agreed to an alteration, yes. But, for some obscure reason, it is calling the locality Kauwhata. It would have been just as easy to have agreed to the correct title. Indeed, the new name. Kauwhata, holds less meaning than Te Kauwhata. Again, the board does not think it necessary to alter the name of Wiri, another place a few miles south of Auckland, to Wlria. It has compensated for these errors, however, by changing Takanini to Takaanini —the name of a famous chief of the district —and Mahia to Te Mahia, though the residents of these places do not yet seem to be aware of the alterations. Otaimatua, a railway station in the Auckland district, will be known as Kairua in future, simply because these advisers consider that the older name can be confused with Otumoetai. This assumption is ridiculous, even to people possessing only an acquaint ance with Maori names. Near Wellington, there is a perfect nest of grotesque versions of Maori

names. The board has recommended that the correct forms should be placed on record, though it has not advised complete changes—another remarkable decision, especially in the case of small settlements where alterations would cause little inconvenience. Petone should be Pito-one; Waiwetu should be Waiwhetu; Kaiwarra, Kaiwharawhara; Mungaroa, Mangaroa; Ohriu, Owhariu; Pahautanui, Psuatalianui; Ngahauranga, Nga-uranga, and Terawhiti, Tarawhiti, though the latter opinion is open to question. Tologa Bay, on the East Coast, should be Tolaga Bay, though the name is not Maori but has been imported from the Pacific Islands. Pito-one, meaning the ‘‘end of the sands,” is an interesting name, because of the resemblance to the Polynesian name for Easter Island, Te Pito o te Henna — “the end of the land.” Easter Island is also known as Rapanui, a name found in New Zealand in a township near Wanganui. There are spurious native names in New Zealand. In the Sounds district of Otago, the ordinary belief is that the Maori names for Dusky Sound and Breaksea Inlet are Takati and Pere ikete respectively. But “Takati” is merely the Maori version of Dusky and “Pereikete” a corruption of Break sea If the hoard is really concerned with providing New Zealand with correct Maori names, it should alter Waihola to Waihora, Akaroa. Kittle Akaloa. and Wangaloa to Whangaroa, Pukealua to Pukearua. and Howloko to Hauroto. Hauroto is in common use. of course, but occasionally the remarkable form. Howloko, is encountered. More rarely, one finds communities anxious to change names. In Palmerston North, for instance, many people have been attempting to have their town called Manawatu. It is the name of the district and confusion with Palmertson in Otago would be avoided. Otago is another incorrect name. It should be Otakou. In its first years, Wanganui was called Petre, in honour of an English peer who was interested in colonisation in New Zealand. Someone suddenly thought a native name would be preferable, but, through carelessness, the correct word, Whanganui, was forgotten. That error was really typical of the blunders in naming New Zealand. TANGAROA.