Te reo Māori Station Names Revealed
Earlier this month City Rail Link Ltd (CRL Ltd), in partnership with Auckland Transport (AT), announced four proposed te reo Māori names for the four CRL stations.
The station names are:
The ngā ingoa tuku iho (traditional names) were gifted by CRL Ltd Mana Whenua Forum and honour the long-standing partnership the Forum’s eight iwi have had with CRL since day one of the project in 2012. Find out more about the names and their meanings.
“The process is about reinstating the traditional names of the areas the stations will serve – looking back to a time before concrete and skyscrapers when people lived off the land. When we re-establish a traditional name, for example Maungawhau, it offers a sense of place,” said CRL Ltd’s Mana Whenua Forum.
CRL Ltd and AT – which will operated CRL when it opens – have submitted a joint proposal to the New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB), the country’s place naming authority, asking it to officially adopt the names. As part of the process, the public will have the chance to provide feedback to the NZGB before a decision is made. Find out more about this process.
It was a special double milestone for the project, as the announcement coincided with the release of the striking final station design renders (drawings) for Maungawhau Station (Mt Eden), Karanga a Hape Station (Karangahape) and Te Wai Horotiu Station (Aotea). View what the CRL stations will look like.
The names and renders together celebrate Auckland’s cultural heritage and reflect significant landmarks relative to the stations’ locations – further connecting people and place.
The announcement was made during a small event at the Te Wai Horotiu Station (Aotea) in early May. During the event, CRL chief executive Sean Sweeney, Transport Minister Michael Wood, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and Mana Whenua representative Paora Puru (Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua) highlighted the significance of the undertaking in front of media and stakeholders.
“The naming process helps integrate te reo Māori into everyday life, adding to the collective education of the wider Aotearoa. Our hope and aspirations are these names are normalized and become a part of everyday language,” said Paora Puru.