New signs to be installed to recognise official name change of Pākaraka this weekend

The town of Pākaraka (formerly Maxwell) will have new signs installed this weekend. Photo / Bevan Conley

The township of Pākaraka (formerly Maxwell) north of Whanganui will have new signs installed this Saturday and a blessing ceremony will be held to acknowledge the historic significance of the township’s name change.

The ceremony is open to the public and is being hosted by local hapū Ngāti Maika.

“The hapū is pleased to be hosting the ceremony and all members of the community are welcome to attend,” Ngāti Maika spokesman Derek Carroll said.

The ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held at Pākaraka Marae from 10am.

The event will start with a blessing of the signs, followed by lunch.

After the ceremony, a small group including members of the community and Ngāti Maika will install the signs.

Assistance with the installation of the signs has been provided by Waka Kotahui NZ Transport Agency (NZTA).

This assistance included arranging for the installation of the new northern sign, arranging a traffic management plan for placing the signs by hapū and organising contractors Higgins to tighten bolts and level the signs.

NZTA also granted an exemption for the contractors to work on a long weekend.

”This has been a long journey for mana whenua and Waka Kotahi is in support of this historic occasion,” NZTA system manager Rob Service said.

The village was previously named after George Maxwell, one of the founding members of the Kai-iwi Yeomanry Cavalry Volunteers.

The volunteers were involved in the Handley’s Woolshed killings in November 1868, when members of the militia attacked a group of Māori boys aged 10 to 12 near the woolshed.

By most Pākehā accounts, two boys were killed in the attack, while Ngāti Maika said there was a sole survivor and describes the attack as a massacre.

The Whanganui District Council conducted public consultation on whether to change the name in 2020, with 189 of the 255 submissions received in support of the change.

Ngāti Maika then applied to the New Zealand Geographic Board to change the name of the locality of Maxwell to Pākaraka in 2021, which was supported by the council and upheld in February 2022.

Whanganui District Council formally delivered the signs to the community on Friday.