Geographic Board - ask the people - Whanganui/Wanganui

[ssweetpea]

Just think of all the other place names that may change in order to correct the spelling mistakes.

Petone may revert back to it's 1840 name of Piti-One.
Otago should really be spelt Otango but the n is silent.
Paihia isn't a completely Maori name. It shoud revert back to the correct broken Maori/broken English spelling of Pai Here.
Wade River may revert back to being the Weiti River.

Then there is the tricky case of Helensville. Should that be Helen's Villa or Te Awaroa?

[Lovelee]

IMO if a placename is spelt incorrectly, it should be corrected.  It just doesnt feel right to continue using a name that is mispelt, in saying that though, its not the end of the world. 


Petone may revert back to it's 1840 name of Piti-One.

The name, from Maori Pito-one, means 'end of the sand beach'.
Whether its spelt wrong or simply been bastardised by the English, I dont know.

Otago should really be spelt Otango but the n is silent.

Otago is anglicised from the Maori name Otakou, a village east of Otago Harbour, means 'place of red ochre'.

Paihia isn't a completely Maori name. It shoud revert back to the correct broken Maori/broken English spelling of Pai Here.

Paihia is a different thing again - it is a misunderstanding - Henry Williams, who didnt know much Maori said to one of his Maori guides 'Pai (good) here' meaning its 'good here'.

Wade River may revert back to being the Weiti River.

The Wade was renamed by locals, it IS the Weiti River, Wade is/was a small village on its banks, it became common usage.  IMO it should be renamed officially Weiti River.

Then there is the tricky case of Helensville. Should that be Helen's Villa or Te Awaroa?

Helensville isnt tricky at all - the district has always been known as Te Awaroa, McLeod named his house Helen's Villa and as the town built up the locals (white) quickly adopted and bastardised Helen's Villa to Helensville.  The town has never had a Maori name.

[ssweetpea]

That's what I get when I pull things off the top of my head without checking my references

[Lovelee]

LOL nah now dont smack yourself on the upside of your head - you had the gist of them all 

[Lovelee]

Wanganui will know tomorrow whether an H is going to be inserted in its name.

Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson has been pondering the question for several weeks and will announce his decision in Wanganui at 11.30am tomorrow.

The New Zealand Geographic Board decided earlier this year that the spelling should be changed to the Maori version, Whanganui, but locals voted four to one against.

Mr Williamson is the ultimate decision-maker and will brief Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws an hour before the announcement.

Mr Laws said it would be a huge day for the city because the New Zealand Rugby Union was also going to announce the host cities for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

He said he didn't know anything about either decision.

"I am appreciative of the fact that Maurice Williamson is actually coming to Wanganui to make that decision. He is doing it in person, fronting up, and not leaving it to a press secretary to relay," Mr Laws said.

"Obviously it is the desire of Wanganui people that their democratic decision - made by referenda in both 2006 and 2009 - is upheld.

"Locals voted four to one in favour of retaining our name, mana and identity."

Mr Laws said the council left no stone unturned in its efforts to retain the name.

"We commissioned an independent history, consulted the community and researched the implications," he said.

"We believe the NZ Geographic Board to be wrong in both fact and logic."

- NZPA

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10616127&ref=rss

Xmas pressie for Mr Laws, which ever way it goes 

[Lovelee]

LOL Score nil/nil

Wanganui is to be given its "h" back in a compromise under which Government agencies will have to follow the new spelling but others will have a choice.

Land Information minister Maurice Williamson will visit Wanganui today to announce his decision on whether it will become Whanganui.

This follows a sometimes-acrimonious public debate on the issue and a Geographic Board recommendation to insert the "h".

The Herald understands his solution will be similar to the compromises that created Aorangi/Mt Cook and Mt Egmont/Mt Taranaki, making Wanganui and Whanganui official names.

It means people will have a choice of which spelling they use, but Government agencies will be told to start including the "h" as soon as they can.

It is not known whether the local council will be expected to use the "h".

The decision is partly pragmatic - businesses in the town use a mix of Wanganui and Whanganui, and two referendums on the issue, in 2006 and this year, were strongly in favour of keeping the spelling as Wanganui.

Mayor Michael Laws mentioned the split name as a possibility when disputing a Geographic Board decision that Whanganui was the correct name.

The application to change the name to include the "h" was made in February by Te Runanga o Tupoho.

The Geographic Board recommended the spelling should be changed to the Maori version, Whanganui. However, the final decision was for Mr Williamson to make.

The minister will tell Mr Laws of his decision an hour before making it public.

Mr Laws said last night that it would be a huge day for the city because the New Zealand Rugby Union was also going to announce the host cities for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

He said he didn't know anything about either decision.

"I am appreciative of the fact that Maurice Williamson is coming to Wanganui to make that decision.

"He is doing it in person, fronting up, and not leaving it to a press secretary to relay."

Earlier, Mr Laws said it was the clear desire of the Wanganui people to keep the spelling as it was, and the Geographic Board's decision was wrong.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10616264&ref=rss

[Calliope]

It is not known whether the local council will be expected to use the "h".

Oh dear, Michael will have a tizzy fit if he is told he will have to use the "h"

[Sir Blodsnogger]

h is very good in the name wanganui
or ot coffee or in wakapap

[Lovelee]

It almost sounds like the 'govt' decided it was too hard and to let the people decide 

[Magoo]

What a stupid decision.          So after all that kerfuffle you can please yourself if you use it or not.         I wonder how much that undecision cost.

[Justic]

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/wanganui-whanganui-s-up-you-3313977

  ALERT, ALERT, SHOCK, HORROR, GOVT GIVES CITIZENS A CHOICE AND THEY CAN'T COPE.

Bring back Helen, she can make decisions for you  (wish I had a spoon)

  ;

well someone has to stir it when KTJ isn't around

Justic makes a note to get sympathy card for ML's.

[Lovelee]

What a stupid decision.          So after all that kerfuffle you can please yourself if you use it or not.         I wonder how much that undecision cost.

I reckon we (the taxpayer) should be able to ask for our money back!

I bet some consultant has been paid squillions to advise the govt to be populist.

[Justic]

Maurice Williamson an expert 

[Sir Blodsnogger]

Nono NO No Justic
YOU are the expert

[Magoo]

Maurice Williamson an expert

  An ex spurt which is a has been drip under pressure.
You would think he would be quite uncomfortable sitting on top of the fence.

[DidiMau69]

Another nail in the coffin for National.

And a shot up the botty for little Kenny Mair who was so ashamed of his Maori heritage that while in the Navy that he claimed to be 'Egyptian'. {and still got whacked for being a dork}

[Having served for 27+ years in the Armed Forces, I have yet to meet anyone who was ashamed of their Maori heritage - little Kenny is a self serving idiot].

[Sir Blodsnogger]

Others in the navy deserving a dork whack would be Afghans, Iranians, Iraquis, Jews, Nigerian moslems, Somali boat people, Cubans, Greeks Communists and French navy seals and dark hued people from the US of A

[Brownie55]

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/wanganui-whanganui-s-up-you-3313977

  ALERT, ALERT, SHOCK, HORROR, GOVT GIVES CITIZENS A CHOICE AND THEY CAN'T COPE.

Bring back Helen, she can make decisions for you  (wish I had a spoon)

  ;

well someone has to stir it when KTJ isn't around

Justic makes a note to get sympathy card for ML's.

LOL   

[nitpicker1]

http://post.polls.yahoo.com/quiz/quizresults.php?poll_id=50827

[Lovelee]

Laws said on the radio that he doesnt mind how anyone spells it - then his voice got tense and almost threatening and he said but be very careful how you pronounce it! 

[Magoo]

The poll on post 193 says it all really. 

[nitpicker1]

  lol, I am waiting to hear the pronunciation on the TVNZ weather reports. Forgot to take note last night

http://tvnz.co.nz/cda/tvnz/weather_area_skin/WANGANUI?area=WANGANUI
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Can yas bear a wee bitty Off Topic?  Don't hilight this if yasr tetchy on pronunciation: 

I  had an interesting query from a Canadian tourist this morning:
Wanted to know how to pronounce "Dunedin"

Hawea was Haughee-er

Taieri beats them every time, locals pronounce it "Tyrie"  I am in the throes of changing the camp's name,  not even real nzedders can spell it

Then ages ago there was a easy one, when I asked where he had driven from that day, the answer was Rittle Liver.  Yep, Chinese.  ya gotta luvvus

[Lovelee]

On the news last night they said when the legislation was passed, in the news room and on the weather for tvone, they would be saying WHANGANUI.

[ssweetpea]

I heard on TV3 news that TV3 had instructed staff to use the pronouciation favoured by the local iwi and that Maori TV had insturcted staff to use whatever pronouciation was correct for their own iwi.

I wonder what RadioNZ (if that is what they are still called) will use?

[Ferney]

Nitz....the first time Mr F's parents came to NZ they pronnounced Onehunga as '1 hunger' and Mangere as 'man-jer-re which is pretty common for visitors from overseas.

When I visited Glasgow I pronnounced Milngavie as it looks 'Mill-n-gav-e when its actually  'Mull-guy'.....and that was one of the easier ones.