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December 09, 2024
Reo Māori names restored to 21 South Auckland parks
Atereano Mateariki
Posted On December 9, 2024
Download AudioA formal ceremony was recently held in honour of 21 parks in the Ōtara-Papatoetoe area, which have had their reo Māori names restored.
The name changes were led by the Te Kete Rukuruku programme, where local boards work with mana whenua groups across Auckland to rename parks and council buildings.
Ōtara-Papatoetoe chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia says his board collaborated with Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Tamaoho, and Te Ākitai Waiohua on the park and council building names within his rohe.
He says one story that stands out is the story behind the Māori name of the Papatoetoe Town Hall.
“So that’s in relation to Kohuora. The name is Te Whārau o Kohuora. And so that talks about the mist of the Kohora crater and where Papatoetoe Panthers are. So a lot of our kids will be playing in that crater, but the name for the town hall talks about the shelter of the mist and the life-giving nature of that mist in that crater,” says Autagavaia.
Te Wharau o Kohuora (Papatoetoe Town Hall) and 17 other parks will have dual names.
Meanwhile, Colin Dale Park and Puhinui Reserve near the airport will be renamed Puhinui, and Motatau Park in Papatoetoe will be renamed Poro-toetoe.
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