NZ’s islands could be renamed

A discovery that New Zealand's named North and South Islands were never official has opened door to officially renaming the islands, says the New Zealand Geographic Board.

The board was researching a proposal to revert the South Island to its original Te Waipounamu, when it discovered ‘North Island' and ‘South Island' were never made official.

New Zealand's North and South Island could be re-named.

'At that time we noted that the existing English names were recorded names, rather than official names,” says NZGB Chair Dr Don Grant.

'They appeared on LINZ's maps, charts and other official publications but had never been formalised under the NZGB Act.

'The NZGB agreed in principle that the English names should be formalised, that – as a related pair – both islands should also be assigned Māori alternative names, and that all of the names should be formalised at the same time.”

The most appropriate Māori names for the islands are Te Ika-a-Māui – The Fish of Maui, for the North Island, and Te Waipounamu, The Waters of Greenstone, for the South Island.

The NZGB, Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa last Thursday agreed to proceed to publicly consult on proposals to formally assign official alternative names to New Zealand's two main islands; either the English name or the Māori name, or both names together.

The NZGB Act was amended in December 2012, and now provides for alternative naming.

'This means that the two main islands of New Zealand could soon be referred to officially as the ‘North Island' or ‘Te Ika-a-Māui' and the ‘South Island' or ‘Te Waipounamu',” says Don.

As recorded names, ‘North Island' and ‘South Island' appear on LINZ maps and charts, and other official publications.

However, the NZGB Act 2008 does not require recorded names to be used. The Māori names appeared on early official government maps of New Zealand. It is unclear as to why this practice ceased during the 1950s.

NZGB's decision in principle was initially made in 2007, but the matter was deferred as the New Zealand Geographic Board Act 2008 did not provide for alternative naming. As the Act was amended in December 2012, the NZGB is now able to proceed.

For more information about New Zealand place naming, and the role of the NZGB, visit http://www.linz.govt.nz/placenames.

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42 comments

Let's do away with this board

Posted on 02-04-2013 16:56 | By Phailed

How can we afford to pay luxuries such as a geographic board while NZ is borrowing $350 million a week?


Dont Be Ridiculous

Posted on 02-04-2013 17:11 | By carpedeum

For goodness sake - give it a rest please. North Island and South Island are just fine !!!


Words of warning Stuff Off noddies.

Posted on 02-04-2013 17:34 | By RORTSCAM

SO WHO POSTED THIS PIECE OF MISCHIEF and why don't they have the guts to put a name(s) to it.Who makes up the so called Geographic Board well let me tell you it is an idiot magnet outfit who it seems are made up of people who are intent on "maorifying" every place name in NZ with cost no object.They have nothing better to do with their time than to dream up this nonsense and waste vast sums of our money on it.The clowns that make these assertions pay nothing it is the NZ taxpayers that pick up the tab hook line and sinker.


change for what?

Posted on 02-04-2013 17:46 | By Captain Sensible

Is it possible for these cretins to understand that "change" for changes sake is not always best. Sounds like more make-it-up-as-you-go PC maori stories. Sick of that a long time ago.


PC Paradise

Posted on 02-04-2013 18:22 | By philthrottle

So one more tenuous link to common sense comes under threat from the PC brigade. Leave the names alone, save a few squillion that it will cost to change those names everywhere, and avoid confusing the sh*t out of everybody - including tourists.


More Key & Bridges fiddling.

Posted on 02-04-2013 18:26 | By dgk

Interesting to read that it's the National Party that want this to happen. They are the ones who changed the law specially to allow it.


NO

Posted on 02-04-2013 18:54 | By lpm67

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!


2012 Idiocy Law Change permits this absudity

Posted on 02-04-2013 19:08 | By Hebegeebies

My God for a moment I thought I had missed a day and that it was April (all) Fools Day today then I realised that was yesterday so today is the day after AFD commonly called "Depriving some village of its idiots day" aka Geographic Board.Behave like leftovers from the Waitangi Tribunal so abolish both of them together right now.


I AGREE and--------------

Posted on 02-04-2013 19:42 | By KAMIKAZE

I also want to know who provided this inflamatory type information and where it came from.I am sick and tired of these phantom announcements from MR. NOBODY. It is fith material to put it mildly.


Ha Ha Ha !

Posted on 02-04-2013 20:06 | By ow

April fools you lot You have all been fooled This cant be real - can it ???


I feel a

Posted on 02-04-2013 20:07 | By KAMIKAZE

South Island virtually uninhabited at time of signing Treaty of Waitangi and taken by proclamation. So who says that the 1000 to 1500 souls remaining there around Nelson after the Ngati Toa feastings regarded this piece of paradise as Te Waipounamu.


Holly Cow!!!!!

Posted on 02-04-2013 21:30 | By Batty

Here we go yet again.I am soooooo over it all this PC/ minority shyte. I would really like to know what the very original ethnic race who inhabited this country called it. The new native of NZ is way after others. So for the love of all sacred just leave it in English for us for our lineage our European decent as it flipping well is now. Nothing wrong with Nth and Sth islands at all. In fact I like it


come on

Posted on 02-04-2013 22:11 | By Capt_Kaveman

enough is enough


Unbelieveable

Posted on 02-04-2013 22:52 | By PLONKER

Next they will be giving my grandmother a new name then making a Waitangi Tribunal claim on it to


It's time

Posted on 03-04-2013 02:14 | By CC8

Yes time we all stood up to these idiot so called intellectuals and gave them the bums rush. The list of idiots is listed on the LINZ page referred to in the story. http://www.linz.govt.nz/placenames The membership list reads like a dictionary of backslapping self appointed "aristocratic" natives and hand wringing government "yes men" . Each one nominated to the position specifically to appease the Maori Party in the government coalition.


plonker

Posted on 03-04-2013 08:46 | By whatsinaname

I totally agree with you. just think also of the expense to change it. If they change the name of south and north island why don't they change the name of every other place on these islands while they at it.


And pigs might fly too and maybe they will

Posted on 03-04-2013 09:10 | By RORTSCAM

On the current poll 85% opppose this try on.You only have to look at the composition of the Board to see what the trouble is here - check it out on the NZ GEOGRAPHIC BOARD website.Here to whet your whistle is a local Tauranga example. In 1974 the name Rangitaua Bay was quite rightly allocated to that part of Welcome Bay nearest Te Maunga without any objections and with no other name put forward.After extensive enquiries by the then well respected Surveyor General of the time this name was accepted and put in place.That you would think was the end of it -but no way Jose' as lo and behold in 2011 only 37years later some obscure iwi outfit rocks up with a more grandiose name. That piece of inventive ingenious nonsense was accepted by the Board which gave its blessing to the new handle Te Tahara o Rangitaua Bay.Well stone the crows how bizarre and you might well ask what bit of rubbish will be next out of the blocks.These sort of name changes each cost $tens and thousands of dollars quite apart what is paid to the Board wallahs.


Just to add.....

Posted on 03-04-2013 09:15 | By Batty

We already have the Maori name for New Zealand anyhow, that's enough. Aotearoa


racism alive and well in NZ

Posted on 03-04-2013 10:47 | By horomona

Who said this was a Maori initiative


Posted on 03-04-2013 10:52 | By Captain Sensible

How about altering maori names to english names ...to be fair. We can call the haka "stoneage ballet"!


Bridges

Posted on 03-04-2013 10:54 | By Captain Sensible

Will Simon Bridges talk about this in his next column? No!! He will probably mention his grandmas scone recipe or something equally uncontroversial.


Leave it as is

Posted on 03-04-2013 11:31 | By Gaye Hemsley

We all know where North is and where South is.


Come on

Posted on 03-04-2013 14:23 | By maccachic

Its just a late Aprils Fools joke. April 1 was holiday so it got rolled over to the first working day for the paper.


hanging left?

Posted on 03-04-2013 18:12 | By PLONKER

Well why Maori1 and Maori2, then they have have a same sex marriage and have lots of little islands to.


Horomona

Posted on 03-04-2013 20:19 | By PLONKER

Racist is a good call on it, that has many faces, the proponents of this scam are all predisposed on the opinions and behaviour well prior to that likes of this madness. It is really unacceptable that these people think that they can put the hand out and get paid for this racist stuff. Nothing at all wrong with the names as is, approval is set down by the acceptance and usage of the correct names i.e. North Island and the South Island. I would of course approve of "The Mainland" as a suitable alternate to South Island.


Both sides

Posted on 03-04-2013 23:09 | By Blasta

Totally hearing people's sentiments on this issue. I enjoyed reading this article. It gives us all options to call our home by the title that we endear the greatest amount of respect, to NZ, NZers, and ourselves individually. Brilliant idea. Shouldn't cost too much should it? Just ratifying in writing? And to honour all kiwis. The descriptive Maori names have a unique sense of culture, story, and identity and even though I'm a 'whitey', born and bred with the European slant on our culture, this is a fantastic option for all of us.


The world is my oyster?

Posted on 04-04-2013 02:07 | By TERMITE

Looks like this lot seem to think that they can create whatever, change anything for no meaningful useful reason. The committee went and asked Maori? Like hello ... the obvious answer from 7% of the population of NZ is to change it? UNBELIEVABLE, they same we are going to "consult" on this, looks like that has already been done, the intentions are clear just like the loop-sided loopy view that the Constitutional Review Committee already has before it even thought about having its first meeting. "Consultation" for them to means "go talk to Maori ..." Now isn't apartheid alive and well in NZ!


Captain Sensible

Posted on 04-04-2013 02:17 | By TERMITE

Excellant call mate, Koha should be given its correct name to "bribe", IWI should be correctly named "I want it" for just a few examples.


no.

Posted on 04-04-2013 08:21 | By The author of this comment has been removed.

Both the North and South island have always been just that to me, the North and South island. If these names are officially changed I will not be using the Maori names.


Woftam

Posted on 04-04-2013 11:38 | By YOGI

What a mad world it is becoming simply because of the whimsical fetishes of a few.


Kai

Posted on 04-04-2013 12:23 | By YOGI

That should really be the in English to so as not to be deluded about what it really is, the translation into English is "Takeaway"


Other Maori name suggestion

Posted on 04-04-2013 17:03 | By Pamax

Since we are dabbling in the ridiculous here are my Maori name suggestions. North Island - Te Top South Island - Te Bottom Max Lewis, Mt Maunganui.


Do away with the board

Posted on 04-04-2013 17:50 | By PLONKER

Yes in fact you have to ask why it was even created. The consultation is a joke, not even General Zheng He was asked about what name he preferred for NZ and its islands and he was the one who picked up a few Maori and dropped them off here.


Kiwis ....

Posted on 06-04-2013 23:39 | By Crash test dummies

Are becoming an endangered species, at this rate the rate of "white flight" to Aussie will only grow and some.


Call it what you like

Posted on 08-04-2013 10:42 | By YOGI

The best answer is leave you all to it then try and make a "treaty claim", because there will be no one to pay for legal aid for the claim, not money to pay the claim and all of your own Whanau leaders will have it all and not want to share.


New Leinster, New Munster, and New Ulster.

Posted on 12-04-2013 11:24 | By PLONKER

When the islands of New Zealand were separated politically from the colony of New South Wales in 1840 and erected into a separate colony, the Royal Charter effecting this provided that 'the principal Islands, heretofore known as, or commonly called, the ‘Northern Island', the ‘Middle Island', and ‘Stewart's Island', shall henceforward be designated and known respectively as ‘New Ulster', ‘New Munster', and ‘New Leinster'”. These provincial divisions were at first of geographical significance only, and were not used as a basis for the government of the colony, then centralised in Auckland. The situation was altered in 1846, however, when a further Royal Charter divided the colony into two provinces and provided each with its own political institutions in addition to the central government at Auckland. The two provinces were called New Ulster and New Munster, New Leinster being merged with the South Island and the southern portion of the North Island up to the mouth of the Patea River, to form the new New Munster. Each province was provided with a Governor and Legislative and Executive Council, in addition to the Governor-in-Chief and Legislative and Executive Council for the whole colony. In 1851 the Provincial Legislative Councils were permitted to be partially elective. Before the elections were completed, however, the United Kingdom Parliament, by the New Zealand Constitution Act of 1852, abandoned both the nomenclature and the boundaries of these provincial divisions, and divided the colony into six provinces bearing names of local significance. From that date onwards New Munster and New Ulster, like New Leinster, disappeared from the New Zealand scene and became of historical significance only. Now the above is from an NZ government website ... look here: - http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/provinces So this confirms that non Maori were in NZ first and a long time ago and these names have officially been confirmed, hella-lul-ya bro!. Any problems we can call on our "Brothers in arms" to help as there has not been a lot to do back home for a few years now. PS don't bring back the red coats ...


Dept of Conservation

Posted on 13-04-2013 11:54 | By Papamoaner

Instead of gutting a great outfit like DOC, why not get rid of a useless outfit like the Geographic board and let DOC conserve our names. What do we pay these puffed up wallys on the Geographic board in these hard times? What a croc.


Papamoaner

Posted on 13-04-2013 13:47 | By PLONKER

Agreed, who even knew they existed before and why are they there, DOC does a better job of creating a better NZ than this lot could ever concieve.


New Ulster

Posted on 18-04-2013 23:07 | By Crash test dummies

Looks to be a name that has good roots back in good old home land Ireland the linkage will be useful in the future.


white racists

Posted on 19-04-2013 19:00 | By whitey

sad to be kiwi when i see the comments on this blog. Yup; I agree- Maori get too many handouts- so the gov. should stop it. Simple! Its not doing any good for Maori anyway, just making them look lazy- but thats the plan isn't it! As for the renaming of the islands??? It was called te ika a maui long before we got here.... get over it... Our forefathers destroyed civilizations- and now you want to continue their legacy! shame!


Brown racists

Posted on 20-04-2013 17:15 | By TERMITE

Sad to be kiwi when i see the comments on this blog. Yup; I agree- Maori get too many handouts, so the gov. should stop it. Simple! Its not doing any good for Maori anyway, just making become more lazy than before but thats the plan isn't it! As for the renaming of the islands??? It was called Te Ika a Maui before we got here ... get over it ... that others were here before so don't like it as is now then go back tothe original name of the Celts. Our Maori forefathers destroyed the civilizations when they got here and now you want to continue their legacy! shame to accept a name from a recent arrival, like that was ever approved anyway!


Iky Maui

Posted on 23-04-2013 11:08 | By YOGI

That was only a recent name and there is no authentic written evidence to show it was ever real. The name only rolled out of the mythical story telling of some Maori, again there is nothing to show that this name is real or ever was.


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