Story: King Country region

Te Rohe Pōtae hat monuments

Te Rohe Pōtae hat monuments

Monuments in Ōtorohanga (top) and Taumarunui (bottom) commemorate the naming of Te Rohe Pōtae (the area of the hat) and the story behind it, in which King Tāwhiao (or, in some sources Wahanui Huatere) is said to have thrown a hat onto a map of the North Island. Newspapers often mentioned that Tāwhiao wore a European-style hat. Some said it was white, and a photograph of him wearing a white top hat is held by the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photographs by Janine Faulknor

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How to cite this page:

Kerryn Pollock, 'King Country region - Overview', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/35047/te-rohe-potae-hat-monuments (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Kerryn Pollock, updated 1 Mar 2015