New Zealand Place Names
Common, Contested and Curious Names from Aotearoa to Zalatown
$31.99
- Paperback
200 pages
- Release Date
5 November 2025
Summary
From Aotearoa to Zalatown, Whanganui to Whangarei, Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua to Bluff, New Zealand Place Names is a treasure trove of names for locals and visitors alike. This attractive and portable paperback gives updated definitions for over 850 names with history, origin, meanings, curiosities and more. It includes maps, glossaries, and appendices on prolific namers, great controversies and how to get a place named. A close collaboration with the New Zealand Geographic Board has seen an exchange of information between the authors and the official New Zealand Gazetteer, with this book drawing on the latest approved information and reviewed by experts in the field.
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781990042881 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1990042880 |
| Author: | Peter Dowling, AW Reed |
| Publisher: | Oratia Media |
| Imprint: | Oratia Books |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 200 |
| Release Date: | 5 November 2025 |
| Weight: | 600g |
| Dimensions: | 15mm x 153mm x 234mm |
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Critics Review
‘Over recent years author and publisher Peter Dowling has worked closely with Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa – New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) to build on the foundational research of the late A.W. Reed … The latest outcome is this attractive book presenting short accounts of the history, origin and meaning of around 870 names, along with glossaries, maps, a te reo pronunciation guide and three appendices.’
– Kete Books
‘The sections on naming controversies and prolific namers are especially engaging, highlighting the layered interplay of te reo Māori, colonial histories and contemporary reclamation.’
– Andrea Molloy, NZ Booklovers
Peter Dowling
Peter Dowling has edited and extended various of A.W. Reed’s classic works including Maori Place Names (2017) and Place Names of New Zealand (2010). Resident in Auckland, Peter is the founder and publisher of Oratia Books, and a past president of the Publishers Association of NZ.
A.W. Reed (1908-1979) was one of New Zealand’s most influential writers and publishers. He helped build A.H. & A.W. Reed into the country’s leading publisher, and authored more than 200 books. His works on Maori mythology have served New Zealanders for several generations.
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