City Rail Link digger named after social justice warrior Dame Whina Cooper

Thursday, 7 May 2020

Work has started on the southern-most part of the City Rail Link project at Mt Eden earlier this year, marked by Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, CRL CEO Sean Sweeney and Transport Minister Phil Twyford.

A 7m-wide digger that will carve out Auckland's future train network has been named after Māori land rights activist Dame Whina Cooper.

The machine will play an integral role in the $4.4 billion City Rail Link project, which will see two new stations and twin 3.5 km tunnels constructed beneath the city.

Whina topped a nationwide poll to name the digger, ahead of the world’s first openly transgender mayor and MP Georgina Beyer and Antarctic scientist Dr Margaret Bradshaw.

A digger to be used in the City Rail Link project will be named after activist Dane Whina Cooper.

City Rail Link Ltd chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney said the project was proud and honoured the tunnel boring machine will carry the name of “a woman of such mana”.

City Rail Link is a $4.4 billion project that will see two new stations and twin tunnels built under Auckland city.

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City Rail Link Ltd chief executive Sean Sweeney says he is proud to name the digger after “a woman of such mana”.

“We were looking for the name of a New Zealand woman who inspired brave, compassionate and fearlessness, and all those outstanding leadership qualities are well and truly represented by the very remarkable Dame Whina Cooper,” he said.

“I am grateful to all New Zealanders for their support and their nominations and votes, particularly at a time when we were all grappling with a pandemic.”

Whina, born in 1895 at Panguru, Northland, was the first president of the Māori Women's Welfare League and played a significant role in improving Māori living conditions across New Zealand.

She moved to Auckland in 1949 where she was identified as one of the “100 Makers of Auckland” in a book featuring influential people who helped develop the city.

In 1975, aged 80, she led a land rights march from the Far North to Parliament. She was made a Dame in 1981 and was awarded the country’s highest honour, the Order of New Zealand, in 1991.

Whine's daughter Hinerangi Puru Cooper welcomed her mother’s new association with a project that will bring huge changes to the Auckland she had called her home for many years.

“Mum was very much a people person. She had so much energy and was heavily involved in community projects across Auckland. But to us she was just mum,” she said.

Dame Whina, Dr Bradshaw and Ms Beyer were the shortlisted finalists selected from more than 300 women’s names nominated by New Zealanders.

Tradition dictates that a tunnel boring machine must have a woman’s name, a sign of good luck and safety for the project ahead and an acknowledgement to Saint Barbara, the patron saint of those who work underground.

Around 3,500 participated in the competition with Dame Whina Cooper securing just under 50 per cent of the final total vote.

City Rail Link's digger is due to arrive in sections from China in October. It will be reassembled at the project site at Mt Eden.

The newly named Dame Whina Cooper tunnel boring machine will be blessed before Link Alliance starts the first of two 1.6 kilometre underground excavations from Mt Eden to the Aotea Station in the central city to connect with the twin tunnels already built from Britomart Station and under Albert St.

Construction on the project restarted last week after a five weeks delay due to the lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.