CAPTAIN COOK’S ERROR

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1930, Page 7

CAPTAIN COOK’S ERROR

: 't • , ■ NAMING OF POVERTY BAY. . ; QUESTION OF A CHANGE. Within .receiit weeks' there has been a recrudescence at Gisborne of a controversy that was waged with 'some vigour as long ago as the “ ’nineties” concerning the effect of the name “Poverty Bay” upon .the prospects of that fertile and thriving- district. ‘ The matter, was briefly discussed at -a meeting of the council of the Gisborne Chamber of Coniinerce last week, when it became evident that the business ’men of the community were pot unanimous in opposition to the continuance of the name given to the district byjCaptain Cook, the great navigator who first set foot upon Aotearoa at the mouth of the Turanganui River, near the present site of Gisborne. ’ 1 ■ . The statement that the name of “Povetrty Bay” lay like a stigma on the district, in the eyes of people of other parts of the Dominion, and also of those abroad who heard the name mentioned, was-.made by,Mr, C. G. Bloore, who said that it was high time,' that, the name was changed to something more in keeping with the actual character of the district. He had lately had a visit from a South American who had only coine to Gisborne with the object of seeing just how . bad a place must be to earn the name of ‘"Poverty Bay.” This visitor had been astounded at the perpetuation of the name. On every hand, a ■ Gisborne resident travelling abroad heard-.derision for the name of his district. ' •

Mr; 'R. W. J. Edwards, as a point of interest bearing on the question, mentibned .that,a notice of motion had been lodged, with the object of changing the name of the “Poverty Bay Golf Club” to “Gisborne Golf Club.” ■■■ The president of the chamber, Mr. L. Miles, remarked with a rueful smile that there was hot much wrong with the name at -present, as things stood. Mr, W. Hamilton Irvine, secretary to the charfiber, also refused to give too much weight to the effect of the district’s title, rhentioning that visitors who expected' to find evidences of poverty must receive a pleasant surprise. Mr. H. H. De Costa supported the movement in favour of renaming the district, stating that in the Bay of Plenty there were about 20 British farmers who had been attracted by the name of that area.

Mr. Bloore followed this remark up with a reference to the propaganda value of sueh names as the “Winterless North.” “A lot of nonsense has been talked on the subject at one time and another,” remarked Mr. A. L. Muir, who recalled the controversy that had taken place as long as 35 years ago, when many of the same arguments were advanced. He said he felt sure that the name did- not keep a single person away from the district, and that, in reality, the name was rather the means of provoking inquiry by people who encountered it. In any event, he added, it would be a great trouble to find any other suitable name. They should also be loth to part’ with a name which had such historical associations, for there was far too little attention paid to history in New Zealand. Another speaker said that the name of “Endeavour Bay” had been suggested many years ago.

■ The subject was dropped without any definite resolution’ being passed.