Henchmen, cask wine, a foreign city: How did Rangiora become Goon?
Monday, 28 April 2025
Ash Vegas, Invers, Dunners - the prosaic names of many towns have been given a classic Kiwi twist by locals.
But the origins of some slang names are less obvious than others. How, for instance, did Rangiora, the largest town in Waimakariri, become known as “Goon”?
There are multiple theories.
Musician and barber Regan Topp grew up in Goon and went to Goon High (Rangiora High School) and now works in the town. So he is as local as you get.
He says “Goon is a real goofy slang name”.
“In motocross, if you’re a ‘goon rider’ you’re real bundy, and it’s just that it’s a bundy town.” Bundy means dilapidated, sub-par.
The dictionary defines the word ‘goon’ as a stupid person, or a man hired to terrorise people. It can also be used as a descriptor for a cheap cask of wine.
Rangiora has a reputation for being filled with people who love their cars, sometimes called “bogans”. This passion is something local legend Craig Steer celebrates.
Steer is the founder of Muscle Car Madness, a weekend of hot rods, burnouts, and more. Describing itself as New Zealand's “largest street machine event”, it is held in Rangiora every January.
Steer thinks the origins of ‘goon’ could be related to some people in the youth car scene who could get a bit overexcited.
“There are a lot of hoodlums and things in Rangiora, there always has been. They terrorise their own community.”
Jim Gerard was Rangiora’s National Party MP from 1984-97, mayor of the district from 2001-06 and is the current chairperson of the Rangiora-Ashley Community Board. He has never heard the term ‘goon’ for the town - but he has heard the name ‘Rangoon’.
Rangoon was the name used for the city of Yangon in Myanmar, formerly Burma. Both names were changed in 1989.
The name in relation to Rangiora has always puzzled Gerard. “I don’t see any connection at all.”
But Tom Weddell, owner of Tom’s Chop Shop in the centre of town, can.
He says Rangoon was on the lips of locals before Goon arrived. He thinks it was just easier for people to pronounce Rangoon than Rangiora, and after a while the name shortened again to Goon.
“In year 9 in high school … you just learn from all the older kids why it’s called Goon, then everyone’s known as Gooners.”
Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon says he consistently uses Rangiora, roughly translating to place of peace or calm after a storm, when referring to the town. Though he admits he sometimes slips up.
“It’s one I’ve heard myself use a number of times and I always self correct because I love Rangiora, the name that it is and what it means.”
He accepts the nickname, but does not like its association with the township.
“Rangiora I think is a lovely name and we should be using it as it is and probably discouraging the use of slang.
“I’m not aware of where the name Goon comes from or what it actually refers to, I think we can all come to our own conclusions.”
For Blair Smith, it does not matter where the name came from, it’s now part of the culture and always will be.
Smith, the owner of Espresso Garden Cafe at Mitre 10 Mega in Rangiora, says one of his best selling menu items is the Goon Burger.
“People look at the word Goon and think ‘this must be the best burger because it’s named after the place’.”
Smith, who grew up in Rangiora, says he has always used the name and is proud of it, but understands there are times you use it, and times you don’t.
“If it’s a beer at the pub, yeah, it’s definitely Goon, but if you’re sitting in the office it’s Rangiora.
Even though there are some negative connotations associated with the word, it’s an endearing term for locals, Smith says.
“Goon represents the people around us, so everything do we is born and bred Goon.“