Tyla Harrison-Hunt: Riccarton Councillor on the calls to rename Rolleston Avenue

A group of Christchurch high school students want Rolleston Avenue renamed - after learning about its history.

It’s named for William Rolleston, who led the 1881 invasion of Parihaka in which 1600 Maori were forced off their land and left to starve.

Hagley College students told The Press keeping the name feels wrong.

Riccarton Councillor Tyla Harrison-Hunt says it's worth a discussion.

"That's the first step - anything outside of that, we can't do anything drastic, obviously. And Christchurch has got its own identity and it's currently ever-changing, so it's something I really appreciate them coming to the table with."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, as I told you at the start of the show,
a group of Hagley College students want to rename Rolliston
ad in christ Church. They want to do this because
the man that the road is named for, William Roliston,
was a central figure leading to the devastating invasion of
Parejaka in Tarannuki in eighteen eighty one. Tyler Harrison Hunt
is a christ Church councilor for the Rickerton Wardhay Tyler.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Here, how are you?

Speaker 1 (00:20):
And well? Thank you? Do you agree with them you
need a name change?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yeah? I don't have a position one that actually the
thing that I was actually most proud of was seeing
and come to the table, be brave and talk in
front of seventeen elected members about something they are passionate about.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Yeah, do you think do you think it's I can't
see it floating with Christ Church Council. What do you think.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
I think it's worth the conversation? That's the first step,
you know. Anything outside of that, we can't do anything
drafted obviously, and christ has got its own identity and
it's currently ever changing. So it's something that I really
appreciated them coming to the table with. Yeah, particularly was
something they were so passionate about around the statues more
than the road names. Any statues there we got, We've

(01:02):
got quite a few actually, Captain Cook, Captain James Cook's
around there, Fitzgerald, Willie Rolliston's and Rolison Air. So there's
quite a few hanging around and that adds to the
colonial heritage of christ Church, and after the earthquakes we
actually did lose a lot of that. So I'd expect
that the conversations would be a contentious one, but also

(01:23):
something that's actually really healthy to talk about.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
The fact that they have have learned the history, I
think is probably actually proof of why we need to
leave the name there, because if it wasn't that the
name was there, eyed out very much, that they would
would have connected the dots and realized, how you know
it kind of it makes you think about what the
sky has done and learn about what the sky has done.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
What do you think?

Speaker 2 (01:45):
Yeah, I think so too, And I played Devil's advocate
and asking that exact question, and their answer back to
me was that while we acknowledged that the street names
and statues were named after these people, they weren't wanting
them to be seen as being celebrated for the things
that they did. Particularly they were talking about Roliston and Wakefield,
of which a lot of Wellington and Nelson is named

(02:07):
after with the New Zealand Company. And for myself, I
descend from three tribes and Taranaki and Tartanaki Tiatiawa is
one of them. My family was from White Tutter, so
that's a really close piece for me. And being the
only Maori and council obviously I had to question them
and see where they are.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
Tyler, listen, it's good to talk to you. I really
appreciate it. Tyler Harrison Hunt, counsel for the ricketson Ward
in christ Church. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive,
listen live to news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays,
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