Maori Language Week is coming up and so I thought that this article below in the Ohinemuri Regional History Journal back in 1965 might further add to the awareness that most of us continue to pronounce Tauranga wrong, either deliberately or just because we do not know.

My childhood was not necessarily anti Maori but it was certainly strongly pakeha. However in growing up, my siblings and I, once we knew the correct pronunciation of a person's name or place, out of respect for them and even for our country, we generally gave it a good go to try to get it right.

When I came across this article at Waihi Beach back then it immediately put my mind to rest as to how Tauranga should be pronounced. My thinking then was that if the first pakeha to arrive here overland and therefore accompanied by locals, wrote in his diary exactly what he heard, 'Towrangha”, then how on earth have we continued to promote this area as 'towel wronger' or as my English neighbour says, 'towel rangha'? Perhaps we are still today doing a deliberate colonial thing, wanting to keep the natives in their place, which would see us clearly adopting a racist stance on all this or maybe we just have not been aware, keeping ourselves hidden away in the dark. During this Te Reo Week we might try to step out into the light and try to use the Maori Vowels instead of insisting on using our own English ones to pronounce Maori names. If in doubt just ask Maori or check with our younger generation as they seem to be also trying to get it right out of respect. Whilst we are at it we might even try to remove the CATS from Katikati and finally get that right too or is that too much to hope for and needs to wait until next year's Te Reo Maori week? Good Luck Towrangha ites.

Mike Lander Thames

MARSDEN'S ROUTE TO "TOWRANGHA" IN 1820

Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 3, April 1965

By C. W. Vennell

In the following extracts and notes I have endeavoured to establish by an examination of the evidence available, the route followed by the Rev. Samuel Marsden in 1820 when he first visited what he called "Towrangha". He was the first white man known to have seen 'Towrangha” Harbour and to have crossed what is now the Waihi district between Paeroa and Katikati.