MAORI NAMES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 50, 16 August 1939, Page 5

MAORI NAMES

PARK TO BE CALLED WAIRAKA ''THE STRAND" UNCHANGED After a delegation from the B.iy of Plenty Maori and Historical Research Socicty had been received the Whakatane Borough Council at its meeting on Monday night' decided to /adopt the suggestion to apply the tribal name ''Wairaka" to the new centennial park. A further suggestion was that the name of The Strand be changed to Matatua Street tut the council decided against tjiis. The delegation consisted of Messrs A. O. Stewart, C. C. Sou they, J. E. Bigelow and L. Rangi. Mr Stewart spoke first, and assured the council of the keen interest of the local Maoris in the celebrations if the pro_ posed names,were adopted. The society had discussed the matter as a J result of Cr Sullivan'fc suggestion at a a council meeting that the .name Wai be given to the park, and had decided that Wairaka was an appropriate name for the park, in view of the fact that it occupied the very spot on which Wairaka, daughter

» of Toroa of the Matatua canoe, used well-known phrase which gave "VVhakatane its name. Wairaka was -only second in. importance for local JNlaorjs to the name Matatua. -OID CEREMONIES PROMISED "It had been stated that Maoris 'were approaching the celebrations " without interest, but if these rever. • cd names were used the Whakatanc 1 ® 'tribes would be in a better position participate than any other section of the race. Mr Stewart added that it would be possible to give old ceremonial war some of "■which had not been seen, for 20 or /30 years, and two or three of which lie had never seen in his life. It would be a great experience to see these. He asked the council to consider naming The Strand Matatua Street. 'The main street of thej Arawa people's town was named Arawa Street, ano: it w«ulcl be greatly appreciated by local natives if the canoe name jcould be used here. 3lr Southey said that the council confer an honour on< the Maori a. people. The canoe represented, for " the Maori wfrat the flag did to the -white man. In honouring the Maori council would honour themselves as it would show they were historically minded. A gesture of this kind to be complete should be done outright, and the time was ripe for it. They would write these important .names in fairly imperishable material .

• Mr Bigelow emphasised that the -name Strand was not uncommon in Bay of Plenty and conveyed lit. tie significance. The street leading' to The Heads was already called Muriwai Road, and the captain of the canoe had been honoured in ' Toroa Street. Matatua Street would complete the link. ]\L* Rangi supported ... previous speakers and hoped the appeal would .he considered favourably. " * .MAORIS WILL DISAPPEAR "Mr Stewart spoke again to emphavsise how suitable it would be to have . all the. names linked in. In time to • come Maori history would become "very absorbing because of the disappearance of the Maori into Lhe l:lood of the nation, and history became more absorbing when a people disappeared. If the council adopted " the names their children's children might be proiul to think that their forcbeais had been responsible for . naming the streets.

When the delegation, had with. - drawn the Mayor said the naming of the park Wairaka seemed an ex. • cellent idea. W. Sullivan moved, that the nffiiie and that a tablet he put the name Wairaka Dominion Centennial Park. .This was carried. On, the p6int of re-naming the 'Strand Mr Barry said that j while he # personally thought the name Strand was quite inappropriate, he thought it rather too late in the day to • it. The business people were not too keen to change the name; It would entail a certain amount of MATATUA STRAND Cr F. Prideaux said the time would never be more opportune. He liked Mr Stewart's point about the Arawa . Tribe and Arawa Street. He thought it might be a good idea, to change the name to Matatua Strand } and in 'Some years to Matatua Street. Whakatane already had a Matatua Street, said Cr G.' Ofcley. He thought it too late to change the name of The Strand. » '(Continued at foot of next column)

Maori history was already fairly well recorded, thought Cr Sullivan. He did not favour changing the name of The Strand without consulting the business people. It was decided to send a letter to the historical. society, and thank them for their suggestions, and inform them that the council did not see its way to change the name of The but would keep the name in view.