AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland

Street names are toponyms that reflect cultural changes within a landscape and when analysed off a topographic map, serve as indicators of the past. In Auckland’s case, street names serve as remnants of former events and people that shaped the city it is today. Patterns from such naming are clear as Auckland’s inner city echoes its post-colonial foundation, with many names construed from its British coloniser. Yet, the outer suburbs, which were founded much later, follow a different pattern of naming and thus project later expansion as an increase in traditional Maori names, and less evidence of a British colonial past is evident. This essay will explore the differences between these name patterns and reveal how street names today are stark vestiges of Auckland’s past as well as reflective of cultural values of today.

Auckland was founded as the capital of the New Zealand in 1840 by colonial Britain, and as such, much of its inner city street names reflect the British Empire. Auckland’s inner city was the starting point for development of the city so adopted its street names in the same time period. These inaugural years were approximately between 1840 and 1860. The road layout, designed by Felton Mathew reflected British Imperial heritage within its road names which are still present today. Road names such as this include Queen Street, Victoria Street, Albert Street, and King Edward Street (the whole list is of course far more extensive than this). These names express New Zealand’s close ties with its British coloniser and directly shows the Queen as the figurehead of this system as Queen Street is the central road. This provides a window of insight into Auckland’s past as reflected in today’s landscape. The inner city is also plenty in names of those original colonisers of New Zealand. Within the inner city can be found Wakefield Street (head of the New Zealand Company), Governer Fitzroy Pl, and Greys Ave (both former governors of Zealand). This shows that not only were Auckland street names founded on figures of the British Empire, but also the figureheads of colonisers themselves. This initial stage of expansion for Auckland is therefore expressed through colonial toponyms.

Yet, moving outwards from the inner city district, it is apparent that British colonial names are fewer, and Maori names increase. Examples of this include Remuera road and Ohinerau Place. This is indicative that these areas were developed at a later time, where there was less emphasis on colonial figures and the British Empire and more of an emphasis on indigenous custom and language. This pattern also contributes towards a hierarchal theory of naming. Outlined by Hong Key Yoon, this specifies that European names are more prevalent in an upper system of cultural features, Maori names are the opposite. Examples of this include city names. Cities that are more developed and with a higher population size, are more likely to have a European name. Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch are all metropolitan leaders of the country and all have European names, whereas cities with a smaller population and less developed will be more likely to have a Maori name; Oamaru, Tokoroa, Tauranga, Wanganui (Yoon, 1980). The very same principle can be applied to street names in Auckland when comparing streets such as Queen Street in the city to Remuera Road in the suburbs. Suburbs such as this developed in the early 1900’s as middle class families left the crowded inner city for a less populated area. Therefore these names were created at a time when Maori culture was valued more than in the past.

Street names also reflect past activity that took place during expansion, evident in inner city road names. For example Customs street, which parallels the waterfront, was once where an immigrant’s customs were processed. Running perpendicular to Customs Street is Commerce Street, which reflects the nature of Auckland as being the original commercial hub of the country. Another example of street names reflecting past landscape in the positioning of Beach road on the outskirts of the inner city. Beach Road was once home to a beach, but when the land in front of it was reclaimed, the waterfront was extended and the beach was no more. The name Beach Road still remained, and in this sense acts as a palimpsest as it reflects the past in a modern location. These examples show stages of Auckland’s expansion through its commercial history, immigration capacity and reclamation process.

Reading both the specific and generic part of a toponym also gives insight when reading a landscape (Jordan et al.,1994) The generic part of the toponym explains the nature of what is being described while the specific half is the name itself (1994). The specific part of a toponym may adapt to different generic part of a toponym as a landscape changes. For example, in the early days of colonial Auckland, a British fort was built on the frontier and name Britomart fort. This fort was then quarried in the 1870’s to supply materials for reclaiming land. In this very same area today, there is Fort Street. Therefore the generic use of the word fort for a toponym can now be seen as the specific portion of a toponym. Just round the corner, is the Britomart centre. Here, we see the generic ‘Britomart’ has adapted to a different generic toponym. Therefore, the specific and generic variations of toponyms over time also reflect the changes in landscape both culturally and physically, over time.

Road names not only serve as historic markers but also reflect modern day property interests. Road names act as a stimulus for property buyers and as such land developers may pressure the NZGB (New Zealand Geographic Board) to ensure positive connoted road names are proposed. For example, there are five roads in Auckland alone with the specific toponym ‘Seaview’. This identifies how roads are socially constructed through road names to project a particular image, or evoke a particular emotion.

Auckland’s stages of expansion can not only be found inscribed in history books, but also read through our landscape. In particular, road names are toponyms that indicate events, people and culture. In analysing Auckland’s road names, patterns are evident which illustrate Auckland’s inner city as originally a colonial hub of commerce. As Auckland underwent expansion, road names changed as societal shifts took place. Modern adaptations of changes in road names also exist as land developers agenda’s influence road names. These changes portray a changing city through changing road names.

(Bibliography not included)