A last-minute change of mind has ensured the name of a Taranaki Military Settler won’t be added to the reo Māori name of a new park in a New Plymouth village.
Manutahi Park is a green space planned for the middle of Lepperton, a 20-minute drive from the city.
New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) asked mana whenua for a name for the park: Puketapu hapū suggested Manutahi and staff say kaumatua and neighbouring Pukerangiora hapū endorsed the name.
Public consultation unearthed a handful of locals who feared people might confuse the park’s location with a smaller hamlet, also called Manutahi, an hour’s drive away between Hāwera and Pātea.
Staff recommended adding Lepperton to Manutahi Park to avoid confusion but noted hapū might not be pleased.
The recommendation came to NPDC’s iwi committee Te Huinga Taumatua, which is delegated to decide on place-names.
But with the vote just about to take place, committee members became aware of a story Local Democracy Reporting published just hours earlier, setting out how Lepperton got it’s name.
The village is named after Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell Lepper of the British 14th Regiment, redeployed from colonial duties in Ireland to fight Taranaki Māori in 1860.
After retiring from the imperial army, Lepper commanded the Taranaki Military Settlers – volunteer troops rewarded with land taken from Māori in return for ‘policing duties’.
Lepper was honoured with the town’s name and his family prospered on confiscated land, with descendants recognised on Lepperton’s war memorial and at Lepperton School.
That history wasn’t in the report to Te Huinga Taumatua.
Mayoral hopeful councillor Sam Bennett moved quickly to accept ‘Manutahi Park – Lepperton’ and was seconded by Te Ātiawa representative Anaru White.
Councillor Amanda Clinton-Gohdes raised her voice in the nick of time.
“The history of the name’s just been highlighted a few hours ago, and it’s online – but effectively Lepper was a British Military Settler who benefitted from confiscation of land.”
“I’m just wondering what the level of comfort is of the committee in appending that name to Manutahi Park, which was the suggestion of hapū.”
Taranaki iwi representative Jacqui King said the story about Lepper had also just come to her attention.
“Manutahi Park is what was supported by hapū and on that basis I would recommend our support go to that name – and that name alone.”
Bennett defended Lepperton, saying councillor Murray Chong had emphasised potential confusion at a previous Strategy and Operations Committee meeting.
“I’m pretty comfortable to leave it as it is. It’s a Māori name, it’s very appropriate – the name Lepperton is a location identification only.”
Committee co-chair Gordon Brown: “So, safe to assume that none of your ancestors were killed by people with that name?”
As the LDR story was picked up around the table it became clear the committee didn’t want to add a name that raised Lepper’s mana.
Anaru White said he’d withdraw his support for the original motion and support the name Manutahi alone.
“These places have history – a history that we want to talk about,” White said.
“How we talk about it is important. How we use [names] is important as well.”
Bennett relented and the committee approved Manutahi Park.
King urged more care with names in future.
“If there is a change to what has been consulted on, or engaged on, between council and its Treaty partner then that needs to be really clear,” she said.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air
