Proposal considered by the NZGB on 14 October 2020 for:

Waihemo / Shag River [altered from Shag River (Waihemo)]

NZTopo250-Sheet 27 Crown copyright reserved Inset map LINZ ‘Topo’ basemap

Summary The proposal is to modernise the format and swap the order of the existing official dual place name Shag River (Waihemo) to Waihemo / Shag River. This would retain both place names, which have been used together nearly continuously as alternative or dual place names for at least 172 years. The proposers are Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, based at Karitane to the south of the river and Te Rūnanga o , based at Moeraki to the north, both being Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga and mana whenua. The proposers seek the alteration to recognise the mana of the river, and advise that placing the Māori name first would ‘serve to link contemporary New Zealand with the early history of the feature as…another strand in the continuous line of history, whakapapa & connection’. The proposed alteration would meet the NZGB’s standard for dual names by having the original Māori place name first in recognition of first discovery and by using the solidus to separate the two parts of the name. With both place names retained in the standard modern format the Secretariat has no concerns that the proposed alteration would cause issues for emergency services. The NZGB assigned the existing official dual name Shag River (Waihemo) in 1985. The Dunedin office of the Department of Lands and Survey proposed officially restoring the Māori part of the name as it had dropped from some editions of topographic maps during the 1960s-80’s.

NZGB hui 14 October/Whiringa-ā-nuku 2020 Page 1 of 5 Linzone ID: A4207141 Secretariat recommendation

At its 14 October 2020 hui the NZGB resolved this recommendation.

Recommendation Accept the proposal to alter the official dual name Shag River (Waihemo) to Waihemo / Shag River, based on: - reordering the name to better recognise the Māori history of occupation and use of the river, and the proposed format meeting the NZGB’s standard on dual names including recognition of first discovery, - both names continuing to be officially used together having been in long term use as a dual, and alternative names, - equal significant of both place names, - no concerns about issues for emergency services as both parts of the name are retained, and in the NZGB’s standard modern format for a dual name, - the NZGB meeting Treaty of Waitangi partnership, protection and participation principles through its post-settlement relationship with Ngāi Tahu, and Notify as a proposal to alter for one month. and Issue a media release on the day of Gazette notification to help with public awareness of the proposal and the reasons for the proposal.

Secretariat assessment and advice

The proposal The proposal is to modernise the format and swap the order of the existing official dual place name Shag River (Waihemo) to Waihemo / Shag River. The proposers are Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, based at Karitane to the south of the river and Te Rūnanga o Moeraki, based at Moeraki to its north. These two Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga have shared mana for the river, and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu has facilitated this proposal. Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki advises that: - the proposed alteration had unanimous support at its general meeting, - placing the Māori name first will recognise the mana of the name and better link to the long Māori history of use of the feature, noting the feature was a key pathway inland and source of mahika [māhinga] kai (the latter still being true today), Te Rūnanga o Moeraki advises similar points on the successive layers of historic Māori use of the feature, and that: - the local community ‘both Māori and Pakeha’ acknowledge the name Waihemo for the region, - the feature is linked to the Āraiteuru voyaging tradition, whereby the waka capsized nearby, and the crew were transformed into many geographic features in the area,

NZGB hui 14 October/Whiringa-ā-nuku 2020 Page 2 of 5 Linzone ID: A4207141 - the alteration would be in accordance with the NZGB’s policy on dual names. Te Rūnanga o Moeraki’s letter of support also refers to ‘restoring’ the original Māori name; however, Waihemo is already part of the official dual name and has been in long term use on maps and charts. The proposal was received on 21 September 2020, well beyond the 2 September 2020 deadline for this hui. However, the NZGB Chairperson agreed to accept the proposal and waive the outstanding minimum requirements.

Names shown on Waihemo and Shag River are used together on plans and maps to name the plans and maps river. Waihemo briefly dropped from some maps before returning after the NZGB assigned Shag River (Waihemo) as official in 1985. Plan/map Date Name Hand sketch of south part of the Middle c.1848 Waihenu Island Plans of Native Reserves in Canterbury: 1848 Waihemo Sale of Ngai Tahu Land Canterbury and Reconnaissance Survey of Otago Province 1858 Waihemo or Shag River - North Eastern Districts NZMS 13 OT106 1887 Waihemo or Shag River 1924 WAIHEMO OR SHAG RIVER 1951 WAIHEMO OR SHAG RIVER NZMS 10A (County boundaries) 32 1927 Shag River Shag R. (Waihemo) NZMS 1 S146 1st-2nd eds 1943 Waihemo or Shag River 1966 Shag River NZMS 1 S135 1st-2nd eds 1970 Waihemo or Shag River 1983 Shag River NZMS 260 J42 1980 Shag River NZMS 260 J42-43 1997 Shag River (Waihemo) 2004 Shag River (Waihemo) NZTopo50-CD18 v.2-02 2018 Shag River (Waihemo)

Location and The river flows for approximately 75km, first southwest from Peak in extent of the the Kakanui Mountains to cross State Highway 85, then southeast to the Pacific feature Ocean at Shag Point/Matakaea. The river mouth is approximately 7.5km east of Palmerston.

NZGB hui 14 October/Whiringa-ā-nuku 2020 Page 3 of 5 Linzone ID: A4207141 Generic term and The generic term ‘river’ appropriately describes the feature and would be geographic feature retained in the proposed altered dual place name. type New Zealand The NZGB assigned Shag River (Waihemo) as an official name in 1985. Gazetteer, associative names There are several associated names, three for the Shag part of the name: duplication - Shag Point (locality) - Shag Point/Matakaea - Shag Point/Matakaea Scientific Reserve and four for the Waihemo part of the name: - Waihemo (trig) - Waihemo (locality) - Waihemo Recreation Reserve - Waihemo Scenic Reserve. ‘Waihemo’ place names are unique to this area, but there is extensive duplication of ‘Shag’ place names with 40 further iterations across New Zealand, including another Shag River in Southland. The nearest other Shag name is Shag Creek, 92km southwest of this proposal. Confusion with these features is unlikely given the uniqueness of the current dual name and its long- term use for this relatively prominent feature.

Research, history Whalers applied the name Shag River1 and the feature has been referred to as and references to Shag River, Shag Valley, or The Shag. The name is widely assumed to refer to the feature the sea birds found in the area. Waihemo has been recorded as referring to the ‘river that has gone away’ or ‘dwindled’, or as per the NZGB’s map NZMS 346/2 Te Waipounamu, ‘has died’. Kā Huru Manu, the Ngāi Tahu cultural atlas does not refer to the meaning or origin of Waihemo but notes that archaeological investigations have confirmed early (14thcentury) settlement at its mouth2. The proposers have emphasised the long human history around this feature, which is one of the better documented in New Zealand. The bones of 1000’s of butchered moa were found in the sandbar at the river mouth3, which was gazetted as Onewhenua Historic Reserve in 1987. A significant later Ngāi Tahu settlement, Matakaea (cf Shag Point/Matakaea) was also located at the river mouth on its north side. The Kā Huru Manu entry details Ngāi Tahu’s use of the feature as a kāinga mahinga kai (food gathering site).4 Waihemo dropped from the river’s name on some maps in the 1960-80s. In 1984 the Dunedin office of the Department of Lands and Survey recommended to the NZGB that the Māori name be officially reinstated based on: • prior use,

1 Herries Beattie, (1948), Otago Place Names: As Bestowed by the Pakeha, Otago Daily Times and Witness Newspapers, Dunedin, N.Z, p.11 2 Shag River Mouth Moa Hunter Site - https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/5700 3 Jill Hame, (2001), The archaeology of Otago, Wellington, N.Z.Dept. of Conservation 4 Matakaea/Shag Point Occupation Site - https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/5702

NZGB hui 14 October/Whiringa-ā-nuku 2020 Page 4 of 5 Linzone ID: A4207141 • conforming with section 5(c) of the Board’s guidelines on nomenclature for alternative Māori names [using the then bracket format] • being in keeping with the name of the relevant local authority, Waihemo County, which also endorsed the proposal. At its 22 November 1984 meeting the NZGB agreed to assign Shag River (Waihemo) as official.

Consultation The proposers are mana whenua, so no other iwi consultation was required to meet the minimum requirements. If the NZGB accepts the proposal the relevant local authorities, Council, Central Otago District Council, and Otago Regional Council would be advised of the proposal and its public consultation.

Advice on A Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori licenced translator has advised that Waihemo is orthography5 correct.

Relevant section Dual names from the Draft (a) Dual names, where both names are used together as one name, recognise Standard for New Zealand place the equal and specific significance of both names. Generally, an original names Māori name should be the first part of a dual name in recognition of the right of first discovery. The order may be reversed in special circumstances, such as where there are considerations for emergency services and maritime safety responses. (b) Dual names are to be separated by a forward slash with a space either side. The proposal would update the existing official dual name to meet the NZGB’s standard on formatting with a solidus, and first discovery with the original Māori name first.

Concerns or issues As both parts of the dual place name would be retained, and in the modern for emergency dual name format, there is little concern of issues for emergency services, which services might exist in the case of an alteration to drop one place name or the other.

Media The river is relatively significant in scale and media attention is probable. A media release is suggested.

Supporting information

1. Proposal – 21 September 2020

5 The conventions and rules of how to write a language

NZGB hui 14 October/Whiringa-ā-nuku 2020 Page 5 of 5 Linzone ID: A4207141