Getting the spelling right

The Dom Post reports:

Two Wellington streets, named after wealthy Brits who never set foot in New Zealand, are likely to keep their misspelled names.

It comes as two other Wellington locations take a step closer to getting dual Maori and European names, and an unnamed ridge gets a proposed Maori name.

Wellington man George Holmes believes the names of Majoribanks and Nairn streets should be changed to reflect the names of those they were named after – early 1840s New Zealand Company directors Stewart Marjoribanks and Alexander Nairne.

Both men never came to New Zealand but helped fund European settlement.

“It’s extremely poor taste to mangle their names,” Mr Holmes said.

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said council staff would not recommend the proposed changes.

If we’re going to correct Maori names, by putting an h into Whanganui, we should do the same with British names and stick an e on Nairne and an r into Marjoribanks.

The names changes don’t have to cost anything. Over time people will  use the correct version – but the incorrect versions would I am sure still be accepted for postal purposes etc.

However sounds like the incorrect names will continue. Sadly. As a student of history, I think it is important to get names right.