City councillors are this week being asked to consider renaming a city park after a Mormon missionary who used the space in the early 20th century.
Ngai Tamarawaho hapu made the request to change the name of Churchill Park in Judea to Matiu Kauri Grove through the city council Tanga Whenua Committee last year – a request that was repeated in June.
Churchill Park could soon be known by a new name. Photo: Google Maps.
Matiu Kauri was a missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints and a prominent figure within Ngai Tamarawaho Hapu in Judea from the 1900s to the 1960s.
The park is where Matiu Kauri, whose English name was Matthew Cowley, learnt the Maori language and translated Church Doctrine from English to Maori.
The staff recommendation is to approve the name change as it commemorates Matiu Kauri and reflects the historical and Maori cultural significance of the area.
Under the council naming of streets, reserves and council facilities policy, historic reserves may be named according to the significance. The policy also allows council to consider requests to name a public place after an individual.
Churchill Park is an historic reserve and is included in council's Historic Reserves Management Plan.
The land was vested in Tauranga City Council through subdivision in 1983, and gazetted as a recreation reserve in the 1983 New Zealand Gazette.
The name was given to the reserve as it is located on Churchill Road.
It is identified on Tauranga Street maps from the early 1950s, suggesting that it was named after Winston Churchill, but this theory remains unconfirmed.
Changing the name will cost $450 to prepare a notice for publication in The New Zealand Gazette, which will be met through existing budgets.
New signs for the park if the council votes to change the name, will cost about $800 and be met through the operational expenses budget.
34 comments
Is mormon missionary to be admired?
Posted on 20-10-2015 16:32 | By Annalist
Does spreading what could be a delusion still count in today's more enlightened and rational society? Is their a scientist we could name the park after if the name is to be changed?
Churchill - Keep his name!
Posted on 20-10-2015 16:50 | By Mackka
It is a public Park named after a great statesman known to all, who has a prominent place in the heritage of the British Empire - which includes the Maori race . We do NOT want the name changed on the whim of a small minority!!
wow!!!
Posted on 20-10-2015 17:58 | By sambo's back
high on the agenda for our Council to debate, and if a majority of us are happy for things to stay the same, do the "Iwi" foot the bill for all the costs, re doing signs etc etc!!!, I would rather the ratepayer funds went towards a "multi cultural" facility on Cliff Road.
Surely this is p***take.
Posted on 20-10-2015 20:27 | By ROCCO
So we are looking to change a perfectly good existing park name to the name of a 1900's Mormon LDS evangelist with his real name interpreted into his pseudo maori name does anyone realise just how stupid and idiotic that sounds.Kick it for touch.
Overit
Posted on 21-10-2015 09:29 | By overit
Here we go again.The squeaky wheel gets the oil.
Cheer up team
Posted on 21-10-2015 10:00 | By Murray.Guy
Cheer up team. I sense there is an ingrained bias being demonstrated through some of these posts than a reasoned and fair response. The park is small and very much of local interest and use. It is perfectly reasonable that locals have a say in regards the naming, especially so when that proposed tells a little of the History of the area.
nz style
Posted on 21-10-2015 11:18 | By Captain Sensible
In NZ, maori get what maori want. That is kiwi style democracy...the minority get what they want, and to hell with the majority.
Don't change the name to Matiu Kauri
Posted on 21-10-2015 12:48 | By hakihana
I agree with ROCCO, Matiu Kauri who is he? It should be named after our tupuna that actually contributed to the area, not him.
churchill park
Posted on 21-10-2015 15:42 | By roblee
This is the original name of the park please leave as is, a Mormon leader is of no consequence to our park, either maori or pakeha name, Churchill rd, Churchill park no brainer.
Murray Guy please explain
Posted on 21-10-2015 16:33 | By Annalist
Murray could you please explain your comment about some posts "ingrained bias." The comments so far to me have been reasonable and concerned about keeping a well-known name, not naming a park after a missionary, and concern about costs. You may disagree with them but do you think those that disagree are biased? Do you have any bias of your own or is it just something you accuse others of?
Mackka
Posted on 21-10-2015 19:18 | By Sandyshirl
Fully agree. Leave as is. Can't believe council even listened. Ridiculous.
Update please
Posted on 26-10-2015 10:55 | By Mackka
I guess by now the decision has been made one way or the other - can Sunlive please update readers ?? Thank you
One small step
Posted on 28-10-2015 08:47 | By robin bell
for T.C.C,one GIANT leap for race relations. So what is so wrong with granting this request? Winston Churchill had no connection whatsoever with Tauranga.Who has the right to deny the value of one religion over another? It's just a small request, from the reaction of the usual "Team" you would think they were being "victimised" yet again. Robin Bell.
Strange no Wh required
Posted on 01-11-2015 20:52 | By ROCCO
Well Ding Dong if you followed the drift you would know Council have resolved to go along with this insanity.Of course Churchill had nothing to do with Tauranga other than his fortitude probably saved our hides and when the developer subdivided the land he had some say in naming streets and reserves one would assume."The Johnny come latelys" who have contributed nothing have while navel gazing come up with this pie in the sky B/S stuff and the dozy TCC council have as usual swallowed it.
Wiser Heads, rocco.
Posted on 02-11-2015 09:59 | By robin bell
than yours.Council granted this request for the obvious reasons.The Hapu in question have lived in this area for at least 20 generations,which of course makes you the "Johnnie" cum lately.Keep up with the Ding-Dong bit rocco,it makes you look what you are. Robbin Bell.
ONE OR TWO LITTLE ERRORS DING DONG
Posted on 05-11-2015 21:23 | By kellbell
When you can't even spell your own name correctly nor have you any idea who and what has been here for how long then that tells a tale in itself and is of real concern although I doubt anyone buys into your claptrap anyway.
Well done Council
Posted on 06-11-2015 11:14 | By Sam Green
Good idea - this is a local park with significance to local hapu and bordering residents. As a local I fully support this name change and the new era of Council care for this small area. For us as locals we are blessed with a compact green space that supports some fantastic birdlife. Live long and prosper Matiu Kauri park!
@ROCCO and kellbell
Posted on 06-11-2015 15:03 | By Sam Green
The words "grow up" come to mind when I read your puerile name calling.
Look who is talking........
Posted on 06-11-2015 15:38 | By kellbell
@Sam Green so you buy into the inane claptrap.The park was always green space, presumably it always had birdlife and Council regularly maintained the reserve. Nothing has altered other than some locals wanted to stir the pot and get the name changed -they would have been better engaged chanelling their energies into something more productive for a change.Take a tip go back to sleep.
@kellbell
Posted on 06-11-2015 19:53 | By Sam Green
Having lived near the park for 20 years, I can categorically state that the level of care by Council was poor for much of that time. Over the past months they have cleared weed and noxious species and created some "window" views from the top.Yes, the bird life has been there, no one has said anything different. I'm thankful for that fact as I said. Acknowledging the historical significance of Mathew Cowley to the hapu here has way more significance than a distant foreigner. The park is also significant in the area both culturally and ecologically and the local hapu, whose land it once was, have been gracious in their gift to the city. Learn a bit about the history - you might be surprised. But stop the name calling .... really - you have no coherent argument.
Sadly Sam,
Posted on 07-11-2015 08:36 | By robin bell
kellbell,rocco and co have little or no respect for any other history but their own.I always find it fascinating to witness how quick they are to abuse,when questioned.I doubt they will ever change,meanwhile the "world" leaves them behind. Robin Bell.
respect for any other history
Posted on 07-11-2015 14:32 | By Plonker
Good on you Rocco, Kellbell and others, sure show respect for the 'real" truth of NZ not the make believe stuff of part Maori myths and legends
@ Sam Green
Posted on 07-11-2015 14:35 | By Plonker
Done the research, you certainly have brought into the make believe and desire NZ history of the place. Having said that I full support the idea of the place reflecting the historical significance on the area and so on, I believe that the Spanish were here in this area first, some 2500 year ago, about 1800 years before part Maori.
No need of change?
Posted on 07-11-2015 14:37 | By Plonker
All just meaningless mumbo jumbo going on here. All these crazy ideas were well thrashed out before, Messrs Bell and Dey lost resoundingly, check out the mess they got themselves into before (just one example) at http://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/105818-ellis-bryers-i-am-maori.html
A case of Miss Adventure,
Posted on 09-11-2015 09:09 | By robin bell
You loose yet again.Spain was not Spain until the fifteenth century. Like everywhere else just a group of Tribes all mixed up, Visigoths,Moors, Romans, Celts etc.etc. None had the capability of sailing to N.Z. Go dream up another one Plonk. If you run into trouble contact Yogi Bear, he's "the man" Robin Bell.
@plonker
Posted on 09-11-2015 12:05 | By Sam Green
Sorry old man - all you are doing is using pseudoscience to back up your own bigotry. As I said - you have no coherent argument. Quit while you're behind.
@ Sam Green
Posted on 09-11-2015 14:58 | By Plonker
Welcome back Robin or is it Pete? Anyway nothing useful or factual there so no need to respond further at all.
Adventurous?
Posted on 09-11-2015 15:03 | By Plonker
Oh come on Robin, a bit rich there. Glad to see you have now acknowledged the arrival of other real cultures in NZ prior to part Maori, the list is expanding for you, great to see "Spain, Visigoths, Moors, Romans, Celts ... you forgot the others also: Moriori, mountain fairy folks, Scottish, Vikings, Indians and others. I know it is really such a pain that the truth keeps on appearing, but I feel we are really getting somewhere when you write the names down here now. Don't forget the Chinese who sailed here, like in a ship, you know sails and all that, the real thing. part Maori of course had but a log maybe two, that would be hard to even ride side-saddle past a reef. Land of the long white could. Wonderfully created in the late 1800's by non part-Maori. and with huge gusto latched onto by part Maori of the dey as their own. Such is the depth of part Maori culture in NZ.
Oh dear Plonker
Posted on 09-11-2015 15:30 | By Sam Green
A good tip Plonker would be to read for meaning. Maybe they called that comprehension back in your day. There is no evidence for your claims - they have been disproven time and time again. Brailsford and Doutre are storytellers - good ones I'll grant but storytellers none the less. Much like L.Ron Hubbard and his scientology nonsense. Anyway - interesting to hear about the rigour of your analysis.
Typical historical(hysterical) Claptrap
Posted on 10-11-2015 08:59 | By kellbell
It is stated that Cowley between early 1900s and until his death in 1960s(?) learned maori and translated the LDS church doctine from English into maori at the Park.A small problem here with the veracity of that claim is that land was not subdivided until 1983 and Park did not exist until nor vest in Council as a Reserve until 1983.So unless you believe in the supernatural or life after death good luck with that piece of B/S.
Kellbell misinterprets
Posted on 10-11-2015 23:25 | By Murray.Guy
The park is where Matiu Kauri, whose English name was Matthew Cowley, learnt the Maori language and translated Church Doctrine from English to Maori.... NOBODY is saying that at the time of Matthew Cowley's contribution to the local community that the 'actual park existed', just that the 'Park' is within the area of his contribution. Perhaps he had a home on or near the site, perhaps it was an open space frequented by locals? It doesn't matter, as there is a request to acknowledge Matthew Cowley by locals for a local park, as is their right, as is the role of TCC to consider.
NO MISINTERPRETATION HERE MUZZA
Posted on 12-11-2015 21:02 | By kellbell
@Mr Guy for heavens sake read the article properly because it clearly states as follows "The park is where matiu kauri whose English(US) name was Matthew Cowley learnt the maori language and translated church doctrine (LDS) from English to maori.What part of that do you not comprehend.Instead of drifting all over the show with supposition go check out the land records at LINZ and Council and then get back to us with the history and ownership of the land pre 1983.That will stop us all chasing shadows and should keep you occupied in your dotage and you will be better informed hopefully.!!
Play it again Sam...........
Posted on 13-11-2015 12:11 | By ROCCO
@Sam Green so you (whoever you are) say you have lived near the Park for 20years.Strange then that your name does not appear on any 2014 Tauranga Electoral Roll wouldn't you say.Perhaps you could enlighten us on that point, specifying how close you really live to the Park and providing some meaningful history about the Park pre1983 other than the hearsay claptrap that it was used as a mythical "outdoor" type classroom for language and biblical studies.Game set and match.
Tennis anyone?
Posted on 13-11-2015 17:14 | By Sam Green
ROCCO doesn't appear on the 2014 electoral role either .... hmmm stalker much you are ...
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