Paraparaumu

Paraparaumu is a beautiful town on the Kāpiti Coast so why would you want to call the town 'Pram'? Justine Murray finds out the story behind the name.

'Pram' and 'Paraparam' are two abbreviations of a Kāpiti coast that have stuck.

The proper name of the town - Paraparaumu - refers to an event that happened over 200 years ago.

As significant as the official name is, cultural advisor Kahu Ropata says the town's nicknames were just what everyone used when he was younger.

"Oh yeah, we're off to Pram' or 'we're off to Pram-Pram for the day'. It wasn't until later on in life when I realised the significance of the name and how it recalls some major events in New Zealand's history."

It's a similar story for Kapiti Island Nature Tours operator John Barrett who has lived in and around the Kāpiti Coast for 70 years.

He says names like 'Paraparam' are from a "bygone" era.

"I don't hear it quite so much now as we used to...it was a bit more of a colonial-era sound, I'm just hearing less and less of it... my old people it always came out Paraparaumu."

The name 'Paraparaumu' references an event that took place during 1819 - 1820 when the Northland-based iwi Nga Puhi and Ngāti Toa from Kāwhia, travelled down from the west coast of the North Island to the Cook Strait known as Te amiowhenua tuatahi (the first expedition).

It was an early foray of the Musket Wars, and Ngati Toa Rangatira Te Rauparaha and his nephew Te Rangihaeata were part of the taua (war party).

During their travels, alliances were made but blood was spilt along the way.

When the war parties arrived at the Kāpiti Coast, famished, they found nothing of substance. According to Kahu Ropata, this inspired the town's name.

"It is a name that is quite synonymous for our area...'parapara' is a word we use to describe waste or food waste...and 'umu' are the earth ovens they were cooked in... It reminds us of that event."

Kahu, who is a former Māori language teacher, encourages people to learn the significance of the name and its story and pronunciation.

"I don't really mind it they can't pronounce, at least they're trying especially our non-Māori, so I have a lot of time for that. It's when they carry on using the barbarisms like Pram -Pram... I've been a teacher of te reo Māori for a long time so I understand that language learning isn't that easy even for our own people... as long as they try and say Paraparaumu."

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details