The parking spot near the intersection of River Rd and Claudelands Rd has been called Sonning since the early 1970s, but long before this, around 1500, the area was known as Opoia Pā and occupied by Ngāti Wairere for centuries.
The council has plans to develop the site, possibly into multi-storey housing, but the hapū would like to see it turned into a special park to acknowledge the history of the area.
The council’s strategic property manager, Nicolas Wells, said staff would generally recommend approving a name change but also recommend deferring the renaming until a plan for developing the site has been considered and approved.
“We will recommend [that] developing any new site plans and a name change is done in partnership with mana whenua. The site is a valuable and prominent property and has a rich and full history,” Wells said.
“There’s a lot of kaupapa (topics) for councillors and mana whenua to think about, but a name change recognises the past and cultural importance of the site.”
Ngāti Wairere historian Wiremu Puke says the land is one of five pā sites in Kirikiriroa. Photo / Andrew McRae, RNZ
In April, RNZ reported that Ngāti Wairere had filed a Waitangi Tribunal claim in opposition to any proposed development last year.
Ngāti Wairere historian Wiremu Puke told RNZ a name change could be a chance to create a space in Hamilton commemorating the Treaty of Waitangi.
“We want to have that pā site recognised as a Treaty park and also as a memorial to our tūpuna who fought at Rangiriri during the Land Wars,” Puke said.
Wells said the council had earmarked the Sonning Carpark site for development for more than a decade “due to its strategic location” near the central city and Claudelands.
“Development proposals over the years have included a retirement village and a hotel.”
The council received funding for the development of the site as part of an application to the Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund.
In 2021, the council approved a proposal in principle to utilise the site as a mixed-use affordable housing development based on similar complexes in Melbourne and Sydney. Called Project Korimako, the proposed development was led by private individuals who have since withdrawn from the project.
The council will consider the name change at its full council meeting on September 7. The pā site stretches across the Union Bridge (Victoria Street Bridge) to Jesmond Park, so staff are also recommending to rename the park.
Options for the site’s future development are set to be considered by the Economic Development Committee on September 14.
History of the site
Māori settlement 1500 - 1863
Ngāti Wairere first lived on this land for several centuries (Nga Tupawae O Hotumauea Riverside Reserves Management Plan 2003)
During the 1850s, pressures regarding land were mounting, and disputes over land, law and sovereignty between Māori and European settlers led to a full-scale Crown invasion of the Waikato Lands in 1863.
1863 - The New Zealand Settlements Act was passed. The Crown confiscated the Opoia Pā land from Ngāti Wairere some time after 1864.
1864-1865, Kirikiriroa was occupied by the fourth Waikato Military Regiment who established redoubts on either side of the river.
1879 – Construction of Union Bridge (Victoria Street Bridge).
1909 – A girls’ school was established by May Whitehorn and named after Sonning-on-Thames, a village in Berkshire, England, where Whitehorn’s family originated from. Sonning Carpark was named after this school.
Council land purchase 1972 – 1992
The land now used as Sonning Carpark was acquired by Hamilton City Council from three separate vendors in four stages between 1972 and 1992.
Over the past decade, the council has viewed the land as a strategic development site. The council has invited expressions of interest from qualified parties to develop the site.
