Five of Auckland’s best-known regional parks have officially received Māori names and narratives in a significant step toward restoring the cultural identity and ancestral history of Tāmaki Makaurau.
Auckland Council’s Community Committee has formally adopted Māori names for Long Bay, Shakespear and Wenderholm Regional Parks, introduced a new Māori name for Ambury Regional Park, and restored the full ancestral name of Ō Manawatere Regional Park, formerly known as Ōmana.
The names will sit alongside the existing English names at four of the parks, recognising both Māori and European histories while strengthening public understanding of the landscapes’ deep cultural significance.
Community Committee Chair Julie Fairey says names carry meaning and have the power to reconnect people with the stories embedded within the whenua. The adoption of the names supports Auckland Plan 2050 and the council’s Long-term Plan, both of which identify the recognition of Māori identity and heritage as key priorities for the region.
The project began in 2021 when Auckland Council invited mana whenua to provide traditional names for regional parks through the Te Kete Rukuruku programme, a partnership established to collect, preserve and share the unique histories of Tāmaki Makaurau.
Former committee chair Alf Filipaina says the adoption follows years of research, collaboration and kōrero between council and mana whenua. He says the names represent an important milestone in restoring te reo Māori place names to everyday life across Auckland and build on the successful naming of more than 580 local parks and public places since the programme began in 2017.
Te Kawerau ā Maki has played a central role in restoring several of the names.
Robin Taua-Gordon of Te Kawerau Iwi Tiaki Trust says the names have always existed within the iwi’s history and whakapapa, with the programme providing an opportunity to share mātauranga tuku iho with all Aucklanders and visitors.
Māori Outcomes Director Nicholas Turoa says the restored names strengthen the connection between whenua, whakapapa and community while recognising the many layers of history that have shaped Tāmaki Makaurau.
He says the project ensures Aucklanders can better understand and connect with the stories that define the places they visit.
Each of the newly adopted names carries its own unique history.
Te Ara i Tautahi / Ambury Regional Park links the park’s modern farming role with ancient Waiohua knowledge of seasonal planting, referencing the appearance of Tautahi (Sirius), which traditionally signalled the time to plant kūmara and other crops.
Te Hāruhi / Shakespear Regional Park recalls the sheltered landscape that supported generations of Māori settlement and food production on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, where fertile soils and protected bays made it an important centre for cultivating traditional crops.
Te Oneroa ō Kahu / Long Bay Regional Park honours Kahu, the granddaughter of the rangatira Maki, whose descendants occupied the lands stretching from Maungauika to Ōrewa following significant battles in the early seventeenth century.
Maungatauhoro / Wenderholm Regional Park restores an ancestral name associated with the southern forested landscape and acknowledges nearly a thousand years of occupation and cultural significance for Ngāti Rongo and many iwi connected through whakapapa.
Ō Manawatere Regional Park restores the full ancestral name of the Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki tupuna Manawatere, whose journeys and descendants are woven throughout eastern Tāmaki Makaurau. Over time the original name was shortened to Ōmana, with the restored name reconnecting the park to its full cultural narrative.
The five parks are the first regional parks to receive Māori names through the Te Kete Rukuruku programme, with discussions already underway between Auckland Council and mana whenua to restore names and stories at additional regional parks across the region.
The initiative represents another important step in ensuring te reo Māori, whakapapa and the histories of mana whenua remain visible and accessible for future generations, while enriching the shared identity of New Zealand’s largest city.
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