History First...

Disclaimer from the creator of this DigitalNZ story: This is but one of many voices who you can listen to if you're interested in the story of Whanganui, and specifically its name. This story has been collated with the benefit, and at times restriction, of the publicly available online resources who are progressive enough to link into the digitalNZ archives. The intention was to collate available historical references and especially those that were at odds with the incorrect suggestion the name had never been spelt with an Wh. Examples throughout the European history of NZ have been found and some are surprising to read given the most recent discussions and arguments presented against the correction.

Each item is here for its merits towards helping tell the story I wanted to capture about the name of the town, and I thank each provider and creator for the access. I have not sourced the items with a commercial reuse aim, so please check each one before you do so. The text headings are my personal view, linked through the use of an H, and in many cases my attempt to bring some humour to what did became quite a heated topic amongst the people of the town.

As of September 2018 it is a fact to state that most people I encounter here use Whanganui, including many businesses, most regional road signs, and nearly all national media references. The Whanganui Chronicle has also changed it's spelling in conjunction Māori language week.

So finally, thank you DigitalNZ for providing a platform to create and share our history, without it we won't know where we are going or how we got there! 

(Kevin Double, 2018)

Petre was the name of the first European settlement near the Whanganui river mouth, so named in honour of Lord Petre who was an important figure in the New Zealand Company. The river and area was called Whanganui by the local hapu and iwi who lived and traded there.

Today there are few references to the name Petre in the town of Whanganui. One lasting link is the coat of arms used by the Whanganui District Council, which features a blue lion as a donation from Lord Petre's own family Arms. William Watt also features in the design and indeed this story about the H.

when did he first say Watt?

In August 1902 this is one of the first published newspaper accounts available which offers a viewpoint on the subject of the H. Published around 55 years following the name change from Petre to Wanganui.

Although written from a recollection of a story told to the author, it is interesting to read which of the renowned early European settlers also used Whanganui. As this was written after William Watt died we cannot hold his views to be as stated, however it does show that 100+ year old references mean this was by far a new story. Just a few weeks later the issue was brought to a vote by the then mayor, Hatrick.

I've included photos of those mentioned in the story, starting with Woon and Watt. Clicking on either portrait will ultimately provide additional information about each man, albeit unrelated directly to this story, and this will be true for many of the photographic references I've included.

Read Woon's full letter to the paper here.

A hatrick that failed to win

By September 1902 the town's mayor, Alexander Hatrick, tabled a motion in council to correct the town's name. The motion was voted out by the councillors of the day, and on the same arguments which will surface around 100 years later, that being mainly confusion.

a Historical name

Some early references to the spelling being Whanganui. 

What flows through it?

Who's ever called it Whanganui?

Often quoted by those resisting the correction is the line that no-one ever spelt it that way. Well here is a collection of 'no-one's as stated by Woon who used the Whanganui spelling throughout their lives and careers.

 A selection of portraits showing the men who Woon referred to as users of the Whanganui spelling. "The best Māori scholars at the time..." (G Woon 1902).

Not shown are Sir Donald McLean, Arcdeacon Maunsell, plus the late father and siblings of G Woon - all quoted as spelling it Whanganui.

marching on in 1938

A brief article from the Evening Post referring to a public question in March 1938 about the spelling. I've not found any obvious follow up to the question but it shows the issue persisted from 1902.

Why Pronunciation is important

Here is a link to the Māori language guide online for the letter H from Victoria University. Of course the pronunciation of Whanganui depends largely upon which iwi or part of the country you affiliate with, and cannot be taken as a literal spelling if heard either way. This is the same of many place names the world over, but all share the same written version.

parody of the law in 2009

107 years after Hatrick's failed vote the H returned, or rather didn't, to the council chambers. This time mayor Michael Laws was making the decisions.

Don't be Frightened

Starting in February 2009 with a reprise later that year in September, New Zealand's cartoonists attempted to bring parody into what was really just a thinly veiled race relations issue. The Māori language commission were now at odds with the sitting mayor's decision to not include the H based on a somewhat more vocal opposition in the town and what were clearly his personal views. Unlike his earlier counterpart Hatrick, Laws was openly against the H and often the town.

a waggish riposte

National media, here in the form of cartoonists again, were quick to combine other Whanganui news stories with the H debate. Such as the recent bi law banning gang related patches from being worn in the town centre. Again this did more harm by suggesting that the H and gangs were related and therefore compounding the issue as simply a Māori one.

a new fashion?

It has since become more accepted that the original, and often meaningful, Te Reo spellings of New Zealand place names and features is the way to proceed. But back in 2009 Whanganui was considered to be leading a dangerous and disruptive trend. Pardoy turned to detachment and ridicule which more suited some of the population but did nothing to improve relationships.

A SHOW OF SOME HANDS

A public poll was organised in 2009. Often quoted as overwhelming evidence that a change was not wanted, there is some question as to the representation of the voters and propaganda surrounding it. The video link below has been preserved by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

That law that never actually changeD

In 2009 a decision was made by Maurice Williamson that both spellings of the name were now acceptable. Maybe the reference to the 'Best of 3' in the coin tossing cartoon was a carefully considered historical statement that this was the 3rd time the question had been officially raised, but then again maybe it was just a continuation of the growing detachment from the issue that some New Zealander's wanted.

In the final year of his mayorship, 2010, it was declared by NZ naming authorities that both versions of the towns name were correct, however some 'laws' were not yet broken at this decision and, for example, attempts to include the Whanganui spelling in road signs were vocally and physically rebutted. 

Sadly a vandalistic statement of opinion trend that continued for another 5 or 6 years with newly installed town sign names of Whanganui, particularly on SH3 north of the town, being routinely defaced. As of 2018, and following supportive work by the council and Hon Chester Borrows, this particular sign, and most others in the region, finally became a sign of the times and remains untouched as Whanganui.

there's no law against it now

In the Main a decision was finally made

Annette Main became the mayor in October 2010 and from the outset she was quite the 'law breaker'!

calming the atmosphere

An early Christmas gift

People as a whole have since submitted

2018 Our Chronicle comes in from the 'old

 WELCOME TO THE WHANGANUI CHRONICLE - New Zealand's oldest and yet youngest newspaper as today Monday 10 September 2018 they have officially changed their masthead to include the H.

This story is now itself, History, but thank you for reading and do visit Whanganui whenever you can, its pretty AHwesome here :-)