TE AWAMUTU NEWS | 1
THURSDAY APRIL 27, 2023
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Coming up roses
APRIL 27, 2023
Here’s our winner…
By Mary Anne Gill
Rose Town is likely to remain the brand name for Te Awamutu after 60 per cent of the people surveyed said it was still a relevant tag line for the town. But the ‘Who are we Te Awamutu’ survey reveals a lack of knowledge about the town’s history and culture with 41 per cent saying they had no idea what the town’s name means. And 55 per cent did not know Waikato’s oldest surviving building is Te Awamutu’s Old St John’s Church and that it was built by Māori and pakeha in 1853. The results were tabled at last night’s Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Community Board – after The News went to press. A working group comprising board chair Ange Holt, deputy chair Kane Titchener, Chamber of Commerce chief executive Shane Walsh, Ngāti Apakura Runanga Trust chair Bill Harris and Te Awamutu Museum Trust chair Dean Taylor have reviewed the results and made recommendations. They include retaining Rose Town, re-establishing a heritage trail and developing an iwi-driven master plan to acknowledge and treasure Te Awamutu’s Māori stories. In her report, governance officer Keryn Phillips said if the board accepted the working group’s recommendations, it would need to work with council staff, mana whenua and residents.The survey results could also feed through into Ahu Ake – the Waipā spatial plan, she said. Just over 700 people responded to the survey – 69 per cent were female, 13 per cent were Māori and over two thirds were from Te Awamutu. More than 20 per cent were over 65 and 19 per cent under 18. Over a third felt not enough was done to celebrate and highlight Te Awamutu’s history, 41 per cent said Māori history was acknowledged and celebrated and nearly half said the town’s identity as a farming town was not showcased enough. An analysis of the survey included in the board agenda noted there was very poor awareness of Te Awamutu history. Only 59 per cent knew the meaning of the name Te Awamutu which refers to the end of possible canoe navigation of the Mangaohoi Stream due to snags – literally the end of the river. C ontinued on page 2
James Clark, pictured with wife Vanessa celebrate their win on Friday.
James Clark should have been on stage twice last week. He missed his graduation ceremony on Wednesday at Hamilton Boys High for completing Level 5 Māori at Te Wananga o Aotearoa because a flight home was delayed. But on Friday he was called up
Photo: Christine Cornege
again – this time to collect an award at the Waipā Networks Business Awards at Mystery Creek. Fresh Choice Supermarket in Te Awamutu won the people’s choice award sponsored by Good Local Media – publishers of the Te Awamutu News.
He received the award from Roy Pilott, editor of The News. “It was disappointing to miss the graduation ceremony earlier in the week, but great to win this award,” Clark told The News. See pictures and the story from the awards on Pages 6 and 7 today.
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