Geographic Name Proposal Report For NZGB Meeting 18 Ocotber 2013 Macraes (new name) Palmerston, Otago Maps LINZ Map NZTopo50 CD17 ‘Crown Copyright Reserved’ Google Map™ LINZ Data Service ‘Crown Copyright Reserved’ Geographic Name Proposal – Macraes Proposal Report for the NZGB meeting on 2013-10-18 Page 1 of 6 Linz reference: GES-N15-07-13/866 LinZone ID A1555223 Summary • The proposer has provided some interesting information including correspondence undertaken with the local Territorial Authority to support the proposal. • The proposer is seeking to formalise the name Macraes for the township and advised Macraes Flat was the name known for the wider area. • The proposer has advised that Macraes Flat has become commonly used for the township. • Macraes Flat is a recorded name. • The signage by the Waitaki District Council for Macraes Flat further compounds the confusion about where Macraes and the associative name Macraes Flat, are located. • Historical maps and plans depict Macraes was in use before Macraes Flat was recorded on maps and plans. The change occurred around the late 1960s on maps. • The formalising of the name Macraes (and Macraes Flat for the wider area if the Board agrees) for the township or village feature could resolve the confusion issue. • Should an original Māori name (Ōti) for the feature be confirmed, the Board may consider formally restoring the original Māori name by adding it to the NZGB Gazetteer as an unofficial original Māori name, in terms of Sections 11(1)(d) & (e) of the NZGB Act 2008. Secretariat Recommendations i ACCEPT the proposal to ASSIGN Macraes to the populated township, based on long term usage; and ii NOTIFY as a proposal to assign for a period of three months in terms of Section 16 of the NZGB Act 2008. OR iii ACCEPT the proposal to ASSIGN Macraes to the populated township, based on long term usage and ASSIGN Macraes Flat to the wider area subject to confirmation of the extent of the wider area being confirmed by the Territorial Authority; and iv NOTIFY as proposals to assign for a period of three months in terms of Section 16 of the NZGB Act 2008. AND v ADD Ōti to the NZGB Gazetteer as an unofficial original Māori name based on the Board’s function to collect original Māori names for recording on official charts and maps, subject to confirmation from Tangata whenua of the original Māori name and its meaning/significance, and subject to confirmation of the orthography by Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori,; OR vi DECLINE this proposal to assign Macraes to the populated township based on established usage of Macraes Flat; OR vii DEFER this proposal to assign Macraes to the populated township for further consultation with the Waitaki District Council. Geographic Name Proposal – Macraes Proposal Report for the NZGB meeting on 2013-10-18 Page 2 of 6 Linz reference: GES-N15-07-13/866 LinZone ID A1555223 SECRETARIAT ANALYSIS General Background The Proposal • The proposer is a long standing resident of Moonlight, where his family has farmed for four generations and is seeking to formalise the name Macraes to the township. • The proposer was also an elected representative on the local government authority for almost 20 years, and claims to have a broad understanding and knowledge of the local area. • Macraes is described as an old goldfields town from the 1860s and is now a rural village. • The proposer advises that the name is derived from John McRae, a boundary rider who lived in the area with his wife and young family in the late 1850s prior to gold being discovered close by. • The family name McRae was used to identify the gold field, but was spelt Macraes as the gold rush settlement took place. • The alluvial gold working on the level terrain adjacent to the township took the name Macraes Flat, identifying it separately from Murphy’s Flat, the site of another goldfield. • The proposer advises that confusion exists with the names, Macraes and Macraes Flat; Macraes was known for the township and Macraes Flat was known as the township. • In recent years since the late 1960s the township has become known as Macraes Flat, compounded more recently by the Waitaki District Council erecting a place name sign, ‘Macraes Flat’, at the south-western entrance to Macraes Township. • Macraes Flat is a loosely defined locality name applied to an area beginning several kilometres from the Macraes Township towards Dunback in the east and extending in the opposite direction to abut with the districts of Moonlight and Nenthorn. • The proposer has not consulted with tangata whenua but has communicated with the Waitaki District Council (WDC) about the sign and reasons for Macraes Flat and not Macraes. • The WDC response to the proposer (copy provided with proposal) about upgrading the Macraes sign with Macraes Flat, advised they took the following evidence into account; LINZ cadastral map 1983 and 2013 – indicates the village as Macraes Flat, LINZ data search map 2013 – indicates the village as Macraes Flat, WDC GIS map with property information – a check of Macraes Moonlight School shows a property address of Macraes Flat, NZTA Directional signage – the existing green place name signs on the highway state Macraes Flat, NZTA would have followed the same process. • The proposer refuted the above reasons provided by the WDC to substantiate the sign Macraes Flat in place of Macraes with the following comments; The Google map referred to shows the township as Macraes Flat, another version of the same photo has both the names Macraes Flat and Macraes marked on it almost side by side, which emphasises how absurd the situation has become. The information supplied sited the Macraes-Moonlight School at 6 Hyde Street Macraes Flat. Further research of computer websites reveals that Macraes-Moonlight School is also located at 6 Hyde Street Moonlight. Policy on ‘Requirement for Geographic Name Proposals’ • The proposal meets the Minimum Requirements policy and was confirmed for processing through the full statutory process by the Chairperson following an initial assessment by the Secretariat. • The following list of correspondence with the proposer assisted in meeting the requirements. 8 August 2013 - Enquiry from proposer Geographic Name Proposal – Macraes Proposal Report for the NZGB meeting on 2013-10-18 Page 3 of 6 Linz reference: GES-N15-07-13/866 LinZone ID A1555223 19 August 2013 - Information provided by Secretariat to proposer in response to the above enquiry outlining process, including various maps and advising of next NZGB meeting 22 August 2013 – email response from proposer with background information 22 August 2013 – official proposal form received by email NZ Gazetteer of Official Geographic Names • Macraes Flat (locality) is listed in the NZGB Gazetteer as a recorded name not an official name. There is no entry for Macraes. NZGB Archive Records • Archive records include two letters from August 1990, with the advice from the Secretary at the time, that Macraes Flat “is the official name”, but this is incorrect as the name has never been gazetted as official by the NZGB under its legislation (1946 or the 2008 Act). • The card index from Otago (Dunedin Office) for Macraes indicates that both forms of the name were recognised by the then Waihemo County and by local residents. Noted on the index card is that the signage is to be changed in 1988, but does not indicate to what. Henry James Fletcher Māori Names Index • Entry for Ōti: Research/History/References • There has been inconsistent usage and signage over the years but in more recent years Macraes Flat has apparently become more common. The possibility exists that local usage may not be reflected accurately. • Historic maps and plans indicate Macraes as the earliest name used from 1873 to 1951. • The name is personal, belonging to an early 1850’s resident of the area, John McRae 1, but the name has been spelt as Macraes and been known as such from at least 1873. • Macraes Flat is New Zealand’s largest active goldmine 2; it is a combined open pit and underground mine covering a contiguous area of 27,492 hectares, owned by Oceanagold, an Australian, Canadian and Singapore based company. • Originally Macraes was settled by farmers 3 in the 1850’s and later gold was discovered at Macraes in the 1860’s. Within six years the prosperity of the new town was marked by the presence of four hotels and a population of approximately 300. Location/Extent of Feature • The feature is a small township remotely located in eastern Otago. The primary industry to support the township is the long running goldmine and some dairy farming. • The proposer has not provided any boundaries for the feature but the extent may be provided by the Waitaki District Council. Generic Feature • The feature is a township and has no generic feature type applied; there is concern for emergency services as the two names, Macraes and Macraes Flat causes confusion for local residents. NZGB Act 2008 Section 11 (1) (d)& (e) • The Secretariat has consulted with the Waitaki District Council 02 September 2013 to advise of the proposal, seek their views and comments, if an original Māori name is known and to confirm the extent of the feature. 1 http://www.otagocentralrailtrail.co.nz/places/Macraes-a34/index.html 2 http://www.oceanagold.com/our-business/new-zealand/macraes-open-pit/ 3 http://www.otagocentralrailtrail.co.nz/places/Macraes-a34/index.html Geographic Name Proposal – Macraes Proposal Report for the NZGB meeting on 2013-10-18 Page 4 of 6 Linz reference: GES-N15-07-13/866 LinZone ID A1555223 • The Secretariat has also consulted with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu about the proposal and whether an original Māori name exists.