Local iwi have welcomed a name change for a Porirua street, removing reference to a frigate which held a revered ancestor captive.
The new name Matahoura Crescent is unveiled in Porirua Photo: Supplied / Porirua Council
A ceremony was held in the suburb of Cannons Creek this morning for the change to Matahourua Crescent.
It was previously called Calliope Crescent, after the British frigate which held paramount chief Te Rauparaha captive for months without trial.
Mana Whenua Ngāti Toa gifted the name Matahourua, which was the name of the waka Kupe sailed from the Pacific to Aotearoa.
Kaumatua Dr Taku Parai said it was a nod to the makeup of Cannons Creek, which has a large Pacific community.
"We decided that Matahourua reflects the people of the isles, the ocean, the discovery, Kupe coming from the Pacific, and we thought the naming of the street after his vessel was appropriate."
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker thanked the iwi and those who led the change.
"I'm especially grateful to Ngāti Toa for gifting us the name, and I'm heartened that this name change will reflect and respect the heritage of our community here," she said.