British Expats - W(h)anganui Part 2

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/poli...marunamechange

Following on from the recent debate and debalce over the "h" or no "h" in W(h)anganui which has stirred a lot of passion in the local community and beyond, a new renaming issue has come to light during the recent discussions between National and the Maori party over Timaru.

Local historians have found out that Timaru is a truncated version of the original Maori name for the place, which was shortened and Anglacised when the first British settlers arrived in the area, and now the local historians and some prominent local Iwi are pushing to have the name changes back to the original, Tir a Misu, which translates roughly as "the sweet desert" as it is believed it used to be an area vastly covered with growth of wild kiwi fruit.

Local historian Avril Loofer was quoted as saying it is only right that the name should be changed and that local Iwi would support the move and that any resistance from Pakeha is non-sensical and the would have to wake up and "smell the coffee sooner or later".

No one from the goverment was available to comment today on this story.

Wanganui mayor Michael Laws is belived to have offered his support to the local council to resist any name changing of another well known NZ placename.