ROERA MEMORIAL.

Shannon News, 17 June 1927, Page 3

ROERA MEMORIAL.

PERPETUATING MAORI FAMILY’S NAME. Being aoddressed as “honorable assembly,” in a petition from 33 Maoris on Saturday, the Ilorowheniia County Council was quite prepared to consider carefully the piayer that the name ot Muhunoa West Road should be changed to Royal Road. The object of the suggested change, as set out in the petition, was that the name should be m memory of the family, the petitioners pointing out that other roads in the district had been named in honour or other gentlemen’s families. - The chairman (Cr. Monk) said he thought that Muhunoa was a very much older name i.ll New Zealand than Royal. Cr. McLeavey explained that the name was properly Roera. He stated that he had been approached by Mr Skipper Royal with the petition, and had advised him to put it before the Council. Mr Royal, had promised to be in attendance to support the petition, but had not turned up. In the event of the Council agreeing to the alteration, Mr Royal told him, the Natives would put up rather ail elaborate .post, in concrete, at the corner by the store, as a memorial to the Royal family, and it would bear the new name of the road. Cr. ■ Kilsby said that as tne petitioners were only asking for a changed designation in respect of the western portion of Muhunoa road, lie took it that the eastern portion would be known as Muhunoa Road. Cr. Ryder: AVhat name would the ratepayers there nrefer? Seeing that we have East and West Muhunoa, it would not be a bad idea to call one of the roads Royal Road. Cr. McLeavey said that if the Council had any idea of changing the name, he would like to see it changed to Roera the proper Maori name. The Chairman: I suppose the Counc.l would like time to think this over. It was agreed 1o hold the petition over until next meeting.