The amazing views of Auckland from the top of the hill are the inspiration behind the name ‘Te Pae o Kura’ gifted by Te Kawerau a Maki as the new name for the Kelston Community Centre.
It follows an invitation to mana whenua from Henderson-Massey Local Board to gift a Māori name and narrative for the centre, following on from the board’s recent endorsement of the Te Kete Rukuruku programme, which provides a best practice framework for naming in partnership with mana whenua.
Community rooms
Te Kawerau a Maki also gifted new names for the four community rooms in the building, which will be renamed Huia, Hikurangi, Waitematā and Tāmaki.
Auckland Council Manager Community Places, Kevin Marriott, says that as well as fitting in with Te Kete Rukuruku, the renaming will help the local board celebrate the stories of places and support te reo Māori to be visible, spoken and learnt.
“Te Kawerau a Maki have gifted a suite of names, which reflect landmarks and lines of sight from the rooms.
“It is part of the ongoing commitment to meeting the council’s responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, its obligations to Māori and its commitment to increased use of te reo Māori.
Distinctive name
“We were also aware that there had been a certain amount of ambiguity about the previous name, so it will be helpful to the community and users of the facility for it to now have its own distinctive name.
“The gifting of the names to the centre is a great honour and we are very grateful to Te Kawerau a Maki for such an acknowledgement.”
