How does Petone feel about Pito-one?
Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Some Petone business owners are concerned about the cost of a proposed name change to their suburb, and worried it would cause confusion.
On Tuesday, Hutt City councillors agreed to approach the New Zealand Geographic Board to change the spelling to Pito-one.
Hutt City mayor Campbell Barry argued it was about fixing a spelling mistake.
The policy committee noted that it was in line with council policy to spell all names correctly.
Mr Bun Petone cafe manager Rachana Sor said that even if the name change went ahead, her shop hoarding would stay the same.
“We would want to keep the sign as a souvenir for our older customers. Some of them have been here for more than 50 years so it would keep the name in memory.
“Petone has a lot of history. We’ve got a museum here that a lot of tourists come to see and everyone knows what we are.
“With a name change, there could be confusion and I’m worried we lose our reputation.”
Resident David Smith said he was not aware of the proposed name change but was sure to bring it up at the pub next time he went for a pint.
“It’s gonna cost. Rates are already going up 20% so I’m worried that’ll just add to it.”
Along Jackson St, plenty of businesses have the suburb’s name emblazoned on their hoardings and an official name change may give local signwriters a wave of new business.
Petone Sports Bar manager Henry Kingi said he’d heard a little bit about it but hadn’t given it much thought.
“It doesn’t really bother me to be honest. They’re basically just changing an ‘e’ to an ‘i’.
“I don’t think people are really that bothered about it. People know Petone as Petone.”
A council report highlighted the historical significance of an area on the western end of the Petone beach.
A large fortified pā on the beach, Pito-one pā, was the largest and most important in the region. Chief Honiana Te Puni, known as Epuni, lived and died at Pito-one pā. Te Puni was a signatory of Te Tiriti O Waitangi and is a highly revered figure in Māoridom.
LIz Mellish from the Wellington Tenths Trust and Palmerston North Māori Reserves Trust, in writing to the council, said all Māori were seeking to do was begin a debate.
She believed there was significant support for Pito-one and she hoped that people would understand the need to fix a spelling mistake.
Name changes to correct colonial era spelling mistakes aren’t unheard of.
In the lower North Island, Kaiwharawhara was renamed from ‘Kaiwarra’ in 1951 and in 2015, Wanganui became Whanganui.
Despite the name change, Whanganui’s Victoria Ave is still a mixture of signs with and without the ‘h’.
The most recent was the village of Maxwell near Whanganui, which was renamed to Pākaraka last year.
On Tuesday, Hutt City Councillors also voted to create a Māori Ward for the 2025 local government elections.
People enrolled on the Māori electoral roll would vote for candidates standing for the Māori Ward.
The Māori Ward councillor would then have a particular responsibility to represent people of Māori descent alongside Mana Whenua.
The decision today received full support from Hutt City Council’s Mana Whenua partners: Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika (Port Nicholson Block Settlement) Trust, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, Wellington Tenths Trust, Palmerston North Māori Reserve Trust and Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa ki Te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui.
Barry said the decision reflected the council’s focus on “deepening our relationship with our Mana Whenua partners and Māori across our city.”
“Establishing a Māori Ward is the right next step to deepen and build on what we’ve done so far.”