1973 days ago

Support for Wellington to be called Te Whanganui-a-Tara following Māori Party's language policy announcement

A Māori Party proposal to change the name of Wellington to Te Whanganui-a-Tara has the support of city leaders.

Kaumātua and Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa ki te Upoko o te Ika a Maui chairman Kura Moeahu said he strongly supported the move to return place names to the original ingoa Māori. It would helps everyone understand the local history, he said. "There is a narration that goes with each of these names.

Wellington City Councillor Jill Day (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), who holds the Māori Partnerships portfolio, welcomed the announcement.

Commuters spoken to in Wellington by Stuff also supported the idea. Craig Lambert thought Te Ūpoko o te Ika a Māui was a more inclusive alternative. ”It represents all people.”

“Many of our cities and towns were named after people who never came to Aotearoa, with no consideration of the names that were already in use,” Day said.

Fellow Councillor Tamatha Paul (Ngāti Awa and Waikato Tainui) said there were about 39 places called Wellington in the world.

A poll on Neighbourly with over 520 respondents was 81 per cent against a name change.

More messages from your neighbours

Tap Fusion opens Wellington Fringe Festival

TAP Fusion

New Zealand’s home-grown Tap Dance show, Tap Fusion, will be opening the Wellington Fringe Festival at the Hannah Theatre this weekend. The show is a unique collaboration of New Zealand’s top Tap dancers performing alongside artists of Street Dance, Swing Dance and live musicians. This will be the first time a Tap show has been seen at the Fringe Festival.

Tap Fusion is the work of former New Zealand Dance Champion brothers Brandon and Cameron Carter-Chan. They say the show is designed to expose the diversity of New Zealand artists through Tap Dance by inspiring, uplifting, and promoting the idea of creative collaboration, encouraging people to work with artists outside their social circle, and to increase opportunity and strengthen the arts community as a whole.

Tap Fusion is on at The Hannah Theatre, 12 Cambridge Terrace, Wellington on 13th & 14th February. Buy tickets here

Local Highlight

24 days ago

Poll: Are you as excited as we are for Te Matapihi’s grand reopening?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Wellington’s Te Awe Library on Brandon St will be closing its doors for good at 5 pm on March 1. It’s been the city’s largest temporary library, and now it’s making way for the exciting return of Te Matapihi Central Library!

We want to know: Are you as excited as we are for Te Matapihi’s grand reopening?

Want all the details? The Post has everything you need to know.