Wye Street grows

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 603, 12 September 1995, Page 11

Wye Street grows

Ohakune' s newest street is to take on the name of its opposite number, the Waimarino Community Board has recommended. The street would be called Wye Street as a continuation of the street opposite which is a very short street, if the Ruapehu District Council accepts the recommendation. The developers had asked that it be named Scott-Barton Place, but this was rejected with the reasons given being that it was too long; because a single name should be used; because there is already a Scotts Road. During thediscussionthe pattern behind Ohakune' s street names came up. Board member John Compton enlightened others as to the background on the names during a discussion on the naming of the new street off Goldfinch Street. He said tree names were preferred so there is now Rata, Miro, Rimu, Tawhero, Kawakawa, Kowhai, Puketea, Totara,

Matai and Tawa. North-South running streets were originally named after the first migratory Maori canoes but only two such streets remain, namely Tainui and Arawa. East -west streets were named after rivers in Great Britain, being Thames, Tyne, Foyle, Lee, Shannon, Wye, Conway, Tay, Ayr and Clyde. There is also 'poet's corner' with Burns, Moore, Milton and Bracken streets. Other names include settlers as in Marshall's Road and Soldier's Road; two are named after mayors, Martin Place and Goldfinch Street; two mountains arerepresented being Ruapehu and Egmont, and Railway Row represents popular usage. New names that fit the scheme include Manuka, Ti Kouka, Kakatea and Karamu, and ones that don't are Park Avenue, Southridge Drive, Willow Lane and Mountain Heights.