Waka Toa Ora

Dual place names for Banks Peninsula features

Beehive media release: 7th July 2020

The history of Rāpaki is being restored through the inclusion of te reo in thirteen official place names on Te Pātaka-o-Rākaihautū/ Banks Peninsula and around Lyttelton Harbour/ Whakaraupō, the Minister for Land Information, Eugenie Sage, announced today.

“I am pleased to approve the proposals from Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke (Rāpaki Rūnanga) to Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa/ the New Zealand Geographic Board to restore original names and reflect Māori history in the area,” said Eugenie Sage.

“Māori place names now sit alongside well-known and established place names around Lyttelton Harbour/ Whakaraupō including those of many iconic features along the skyline.

“Restoring traditional Rāpaki place names alongside English place names recognises the history and significance of these places,” said Eugenie Sage.

“The stories behind place names are rich in history – some are ancestral stories for Rāpaki iwi and others are more recent. The dual names provide a link to these stories,” said Eugenie Sage.

One example is The Tors which will now be called Te Moenga-o-Wheke/ The Tors.

Te Moenga-o-Wheke tells of Wheke - the son of Te Rakiwhakaputa - a rangatira toa who would search the surrounding hills of Lyttelton Harbour/ Whakaraupō for Ngāti Māmoe refugees.

It is said Wheke had camping places in the hills where he would sleep at night. One of these was named Te Moenga-o-Wheke – the Sleeping Place of Wheke. The hapū at Rāpaki - Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke - are named after him. Te Moenga-o-Wheke is a name that is well-known with the local hapū of Ngāti Wheke.

The other part of the dual name is The Tors - a descriptive name for wind shaped rocks.

Below is the full list of newly official place names announced today: