Suburb Spotlight: Should Greerton change its name? Prominent figure thinks yes
2 May, 2021 06:00 PM
8 minutes to read
A view up Chadwick St in the suburb of Greerton. Photo / George Novak
A prominent Greerton figure is calling for the Tauranga suburb's name to be changed but not everyone agrees.
Greerton is named after Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Greer, a commander of the British forces during the Tauranga Campaign
in early 1864.
The campaign was a six-month-long armed conflict as part of the wars fought between the Māori and British over land.
In Wilson's view: "Colonel Greer tried to wipe out our people.
"Why would we want to continue with a name honouring those people that dishonoured tangata whenua of Tauranga Moana?"