Ōkārito Lagoon, Ōkārito River, Ōkārito (settlement) and Ōkāritoiti / Lake Windemere Place Name Proposal Report

On this page:

• 27 March 2009 Place Name Proposal Report
• 16 September 2009 Place Name Summary Report

This report is also available in pdf Ōkārito Place Name Proposal Report (PDF 1.71MB).

Lake Windemere Place Name Proposal Report 27 March 2009

General Background

The submitter is seeking to have the spelling corrected for a lake, from Lake Windemere to Lake Windermere, i.e. the submitter seeks to add an‘r’. The submitter provides evidence supporting that this feature was named after a well-known lake in England, which the submitter advises is the largest lake in England. A search of ‘Google Earth’ and ‘The Penguin Dictionary of British Place Names’ confirms the spelling of the lake in England as Lake Windermere. The Dictionary reveals the origin of the name as a Scandinavian personal name.

The submitter has provided evidence of reference sources to help verify the spelling of Windermere. Of particular note is the card index by Johannes Carl Andersen, which states the Māori name for the lake is Okaritoito. The Board may wish to consider restoring this original Māori name as per Section 11(1)(d) & (e) of the new Act. The Ngāi Tahu Board member may provide further information about this Māori name at the meeting.

Duplication:

A number of homesteads and roads located around New Zealand are named ‘Windermere’, but none are in the vicinity of this proposal.

Changing Lake Windemere to Lake Windermere, will not significantly change the risk of confusion, as both the current and proposed names are pronounced the same. The other Windemere name is far enough away geographically so as not to cause confusion, and is not a ‘lake’.

Cadastral and Topographic maps have shown the following through the years:

Some early survey plans show the following:

Early historical maps/plans show:

There are no archive records of the Board (Westland, Canterbury National, NZGB card indices) relating to Lake Windemere, Lake Windermere or Okaritoito. Henry James Fletcher’s index of Māori place names was searched online through Waikato University for Okaritoito, but it was not listed.

Lake Windemere is located within Waitangiroto Nature Reserve, and is adjacent to the Okarito Forest Conservation Area.

The evidence provided by the submitter concludes that this lake was named after Lake Windermere in England. The submitter has requested that the Board exercise its responsibility to examine cases of doubtful spelling, in terms of Section 8(1)(b) of the New Zealand Geographic Board Act 1946 [now Section 15(1)(b) of the 2008 Act]. The Board should note that its discretion to uphold misspelled place names which have been in long term local usage, may not apply for this place name, given that it does not appear to be a place name that would attract controversy or contention. There is no conclusive evidence of this lake feature having been named after the English lake – the documentation provided by the submitter does not provide a clear link. However, the documentary evidence of maps and plans shows both spellings spanning back to 1867.

Lake Windermere or Ōkāritoiti / Lake Windermere Place Name Summary Report 16 September 2009

• Spelling alteration.

General Background

At the Board’s previous meeting of 27 March 2009, it was agreed that the English spelling of this name should be corrected to Windermere from Windemere, as it has been consistently spelt Windermere on a number of historical documents, reference sources, maps and plans. However, the Board agreed to defer its decision on this proposal in order to consult and seek the views of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, on the original Māori name for this lake. The proposal and Board archive records revealed that the original Māori name for this lake appeared to be Okaritoito. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu were asked to provide any further views or information relating to this original Māori name for this lake. In particular the Board is interested in:

• whether Okaritoito is the correct original/traditional Māori name;
• is it spelt correctly and do macrons apply;
• what is its meaning;
• what is the history associated with its naming;
• is Okaritoito supported by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu;
• would a dual name be supported or is there a preference to replace Windermere completely; and
• any other relevant information that can be provided.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu responded in a letter of 10 August 2009, advising that the Māori name for this lake is Okaritoiti, not Okaritoito. The iti meaning small, as distinct from the larger Okarito Lagoon, to the south. Ngāi Tahu has said that if this feature is to be dual named, their preference is for Okaritoiti/Lake Windermere.

Henry James Fletcher’s entry:

J.P.S. Journal of the Polynesian Society. Vols. 1-19 (1892-1910)
Trans. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. Vols. 1-42 (1868-1910)

A W Reed’s Illustrated Māori Place Names provides an entry for Ōkārito: ō (the place of); kārito (bulrush. A place where bulrushes grow plentifully.”

The Board’s card index provides a comment “According to an article in the Grey River Argus, June 17, 1908 Okarito – to stab an evil spirit.”

Confirmation of the placement of macrons should be confirmed by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. The Board may also wish to consider altering the spelling of the following geographical names, by adding the macrons, subject to TTWh confirmation:

• Okarito Lagoon;
• Okarito (locality at the south of the lagoon);
• Okarito River (flowing into the lagoon).

These are classified as Recorded Names, i.e. they have not been gazetted as official by the Board.

It may be advisable to consult with the Territorial Authority on the possible renaming of the locality of Okarito to Ōkārito, to seek their views before deciding to proceed to public notification. The Board may also wish to consider altering the spelling of the following Crown Protected Area names, by adding the macrons, subject to TTWh confirmation, and subject to agreement by the Department of Conservation:

• Okarito Forks Ecological Area;
• Okarito Lagoon Wildlife Management Reserve;
• Okarito Recreation Reserve;
• Okarito School House Historic Reserve.

Map

Printable versions of these maps are available in the Ōkārito Place Name Proposal Report (PDF 1.71MB).

This map shows the location of Ōkārito (locality), Ōkārito Lagoon, Ōkārito River, and Lake Ōkāritoiti / Lake Windermere.

This map shows the location of Lake Ōkāritoiti / Lake Windermere.