Place naming decision: Franz Josef

Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board announces today Franz Josef village and glacier will be retaining the existing spellings of their official dual names.

The Board opened consultation on proposals to correct the spellings of Franz Josef glacier and township to Franz Joseph in November 2023. The non-Māori parts of the glacier and village are named for former Austrian Emperor Kaiser Franz Joseph whose name is spelled with a “ph” rather than an “f”.

After considering the proposal and the public submissions, the Minister for Land Information, Hon Chris Penk decided that the village and glacier names will remain Franz Josef/Waiau and Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere respectively. The dual names were made official through the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 and are required to be used on official documents.

Minister Penk decided not to proceed with the spelling correction because the community offered very good reasons through the consultation process to maintain the status quo.

“The community noted that having to change the spelling of the busy tourist centre would have been a further diversion from economic recovery.”

About Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board

This year, Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board is marking 100 years of official place naming in New Zealand, its offshore islands, Antarctica and on the sea floor.  

Find out more about its history here: Celebrating 100 years of place naming. And check out some notable moments.

The Board is an independent statutory body. It is supported and administered by Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand.
Anyone may propose a name for a geographic feature or place. The Board uses naming guidelines and standards and follows international good practice to help it to make informed, robust and enduring decisions.

The Board recognises the importance of pronunciation in te reo, and macrons support both pronunciation and meaning. Therefore, the Board follows the orthographic conventions of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission).

If the Board doesn't agree with a proposal, it may consult on a different proposal considered to be more appropriate.

The Board consults with relevant agencies, local communities, councils, stakeholders and iwi. It researches all proposals and encourages original Māori place names.

Official place names must be used in all official documents like road signs, maps, websites, databases and publications for tourists.

Anyone can make a submission on proposed place names, either online or by emailing nzgbsubmissions@linz.govt.nz, or by mailing directly to the Board’s Secretary.

Official and recorded place names can be searched in the New Zealand Gazetteer.

Whakataunga ingoa wāhi: Franz Josef 

Ka pānuitia i te rangi nei e Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa ka mau tonu te āhua o te tuhi i ngā ingoa tōrua mana o te kāinga o Franz Josef me tōna awa kōpaka.

I whakatuwherahia e te Poari te whakapāpātanga mō ngā tono kia whakatikaina te tuhia o te awa kōpaka o Franz Josef me te kāinga tonu kia Franz Joseph i te Whiringa-ā-rangi 2023. Ko ngā wāhanga o te awa kōpaka me te kāinga kīhai i Māori i taunahatia ki tētahi Emepara o Ateria a Kaiser Franz Joseph i tuhia nei tōna ingoa ki te “ph”, kaua ki te  “f”.

I te whakaarohia o te tono me ngā tāpaenga whakaaro tūmatanui, ka whakatau te Minita mō Toitū Te Whenua, a Hon Chris Penk kia mau tonu te ingoa o te kāinga me te awa kōpaka ki te Franz Josef/Waiau me te Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere. I whakamanahia ngā ingoa tōrua i te Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, ka mutu, me mātua whakamahi ēnei ingoa i ngā tuhinga mana.

I whakatau a Minita Penk kia kaua e whakatikaina te tuhia o te ingoa i te mea i tino pai ngā take i tāpaea ake e te hapori i te tukanga whakapātanga kia mau tonu te tuhinga o nāianei.  

“I kī ake te hapori ki te mate tā rātou panoni i te āhua o te tuhi i te ingoa o tētahi pokapū tāpoi toritori kua kotiti kē atu rātou i te kimi oranga ohaoha.”

He kōrero mō Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa

I tēnei tau ka whakanuia e Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa te 100 tau ōna e taunaha wāhi ana i Aotearoa, i ōna moutere o waho, i Te Tiri o te Moana ki te Tonga me te takere moana.  

Tirohia ētahi atu hītori mōna i konei: Celebrating 100 years of place naming. Tirohia anō ētahi notable moments.

He rōpū motuhake ā-ture te Poari. E tautokohia ana, e whakahaeretia ana ia e Toitū Te Whenua.

E āhei ana te tangata noa ki te tono ingoa mō tētahi tārainga matawhenua. Whakamahia ai e te Poari ētahi aratohu taunaha, ētahi paerewa, ka whai anō i ngā tikanga mahi papai o te ao kia whakatau ai ia i runga i te mōhio, kia pakari, kia mauroa anō ai āna whakatau.

E mōhio ana te Poari ki te hiranga o te whakahua i te reo, ka tautoko hoki te tohutō i te whakahuatanga me te tikanga o te kupu. Nō reira, ka whai te Poari i ngā tikanga tuhi i hangaia e Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.

Ki te kore te Poari e whakaae ki tētahi tono, ka taea e ia te whakapā haere mō tētahi atu tono e whakaaro ana ia kei te hāngai ake.

Ka whakapā atu te Poari ki ngā umanga e tika ana, ki ngā hapori o te hau kāinga, ngā kaunihera, ki te hunga whai pānga me te iwi. Ka rangahaua e ia ngā tono katoa, ka whakahau anō mō te ingoa Māori taketake ake.  

Me mātua whakamahi te ingoa wāhi mana i ngā tuhinga mana katoa pērā i te tohu huarahi, te mahere whenua, te paetukutuku, te putunga raraunga me te tānga mā te wae tāpoi.  

E āhei ana te tangata noa ki te tāpae whakaaro mai mō te ingoa wāhi kua tonoa, mā te ipurangi, mā te īmērā mai rānei ki nzgbsubmissions@linz.govt.nz, mā te mēra tōtika mai rānei ki te Hēkeretari o te Poari.  

Ka taea ngā ingoa wāhi mana me ērā kua takoto te rapu i te Kāhetia o Aotearoa.